I'll Be There In Time
by derlovesmerlovesder
Summary: AU MerDer, they have to live apart for 6 months while Derek finishes his fellowship and Meredith starts her second year of residency. First fic, so give it a chance as I'm not really great at summarizing yet.
1. Prologue

Meredith Grey sighed as she collapsed into bed alone, listening as the dull Seattle rain pounded against the roof. While she was thrilled to have landed in a warm, cozy bed after another 48 grueling hour shift, she was not thrilled with the lack of a warm body in the aforementioned bed.

She reached over and pulled a pillow into her chest, squeezing it tightly and trying to blink her tears away. Usually she was okay. But on days like these—when she was exhausted and overworked and maybe a tad discouraged—she longed for him more than usual. It was understandable, in a sense. They'd been together for seven years and they'd lived together since she finished her undergrad degree. She had a right to miss him.

When these days came about she tried to remind herself that they were in the home stretch. She tried her hardest to keep in mind that in six weeks he would be here—not on the phone, but actually here—to hold her and listen to her and take care of her on the bad days as well as to celebrate with her and be proud of everything she was doing on the good days. They had survived four and a half months of living on separate coasts, and only six weeks remained. But those six weeks were beginning to feel like an eternity.

She hid herself under her comforter and clutched her phone tightly, wishing with everything in her that he'd be home soon and she could, at the very least, hear his voice. That would get her through the night. She'd try to be better tomorrow.

Derek Shepherd handed some cash to the driver and stepped out of a cab six blocks from his apartment. He couldn't take the Manhattan traffic any longer. He'd walk the rest of the way. He needed to get home so he could speak to her in peace.

The walk was quick and he breathed a sigh of relief as he made himself comfortable on the couch. He looked around longingly, missing the days when there were signs of her all around. Soon his things would be gone, too. Six more weeks. Six more weeks and things would be back to normal. His stupid fellowship would be over and he'd start his new job on a new coast with his same love

He quickly dialed her number, smiling widely as he waited for the line to connect.

"Hello?" she murmured.

"Meredith," he breathed.

"Hey," she offered.

"What's wrong?" he asked, growing alarmed by the sadness in her tone.

"Nothing, just a rough shift," she tried, but the tears she had been attempting to blink away began to overflow and caused her to sniffle.

"What happened? Did you lose a patient?" he questioned softly.

"Two," she responded, "and I just…I need these six weeks to be over. I need you to be here with me."

"I'm always here for you, Mer," he reassured her.

"No, I need you to physically BE HERE. It's pathetic and whiny, but it's been too long and I've hit my wall," she cried.

Derek felt his heart shattering into a thousand pieces. In the seven years they'd been together he wasn't sure he'd ever heard her this broken up about anything. And there was nothing he could do about it because he was across the country, "Mer, I love you so much. I'm so sorry…"

"It's not your fault," she tried.

"It is," he insisted, "if I hadn't…"

"Stop," she demanded, "I can't handle blames-himself-for-everything-Derek right now, I just need you to talk me down."

He took a deep breath in, "In six weeks, I will be there with you. Permanently. And every single night that one of isn't on call, I will be there with you and for you in any and every way that you need me to be. I'll take you to dinner, and we'll walk through the park, and ride the ferry boats. Everything will be back on track in six weeks."

"Six weeks," she breathed in a calmer tone.

"Six weeks. When's the last time you slept?" he asked.

"Forty-eight hours ago," she mumbled.

"Meredith you need to sleep," he chastised gently.

"I know that, but I wanted to talk to you first," she confessed, "Stay on the line?"

"Always," he assured. It was a common request for both of them.

"Goodnight Der, I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too. Get some sleep, Mer," he smiled in spite of the fact that she couldn't see him.


	2. Chapter 1

Meredith dragged herself out of the elevator and down the hall to her and Derek's apartment. She flung the door open, dropping her bag right next to the entrance and kicking off her shoes. Being an intern was exhausting for anyone. Being an intern at Manhattan's most popular trauma center was a whole new level of exhausting.

She followed the rich aroma that wafted from the kitchen area and smiled widely when Derek came into view. He'd just set two steaming plates of her favorite dish, chicken parmesan, on the table and he was now moving to pour them each a glass of wine.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise," she beamed, "six and a half years later and you're still trying to wine and dine me?" she joked.

Derek turned to face her with a wide smile, "I'm well aware that the way to your heart is through your stomach," he quipped.

Meredith approached him and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Touché," she murmured as she pushed onto her tiptoes to kiss him.

"Welcome home," he smirked before kissing her again.

Her stomach grumbled loudly, interrupting their moment, causing Derek to laugh heartily, "I guess it's a good thing I have food."

"Shut up," she giggled.

Their dinner conversation was a mix of friendly banter and stories about their recent cases at work. Suddenly, Meredith noticed a change in Derek. He was stiffer…nervous even.

"Der, are you okay?" she wondered.

He sighed, "Mer, we need to talk."

Dread filled her body as soon as she heard the words. In her experience, they never led to anything good. She nodded slowly, signaling for him to continue.

"As it turns out, I'm going to be finishing my fellowship 6 months earlier than we expected," he began.

She raised an eyebrow at him, "Okay. We already knew that was a strong possibility. What's the big deal?"

"The thing is…I was offered a job at Seattle Grace Hospital. The offer is a lot better than Sinai's," he began, "It's not just the pay. They want to groom me to be the next head of neuro when the current head retires in a few years."

Her heart fell to her stomach, "You want us to move to Seattle?"

He shook his head fervently, "I haven't accepted or declined anything. I wanted to talk to you about this first."

"But you want the job?" she questioned.

"Yeah," he sighed, "I want the job."

She nodded slowly, "Grace is a teaching hospital…how much do you know about the transfer process?"

His expression softened, "Meredith, you worked so hard to get into Sinai. I could never ask you to give that up for me."

She rolled her eyes, "Derek Christopher, I applied to Sinai because it's the best program in New York. Grace is the second best program in the country. If you're going to Seattle, I'm going with you," she insisted.

"We really don't have to, Meredith," he assured.

"What's the alternative? We live on separate coasts for the remainder of my residency? I'm an intern Derek, lots of people transfer after their intern year…" she trailed off as an awful thought crossed her mind, "unless…are you saying you don't want me there?" she whispered.

"Meredith," he gasped, grabbing her hand and squeezing it, "You know I always want you with me. Always. I'm saying that we don't have to do this at all."

"Derek, how many people are in line to be head of neuro at Sinai right now?" she asked.

"At least four," he responded.

"And for this new job?" she continued.

"It would just be me. They recruit their department heads years before they become department heads," he explained.

"Obviously it's a goal of yours to get that job. It's your dream, and I'm not going to stand in the way of your dreams. That's not what I want at all," Meredith stated.

"It is important. It's a very important step in my career," he conceded.

"Then we'll go…if this is what you want, we'll go," she nodded decisively.

Derek stood, pulling Meredith out of her chair and grinning broadly, "I love you so much," he said before pulling her into a searing kiss.

"I love you, too," she smiled once he pulled away, "but I am not going to help you explain to your mother that we're moving all the way across the country.

He groaned dramatically, "I hadn't even thought of that."

"We're moving to Seattle," she whispered.

"We're moving to Seattle," he confirmed.


	3. Chapter 2

A month had passed since they'd decided to move to Seattle when Meredith barged into Derek's research lab and slammed the door behind her, turning the lock, "You're working alone for right now, right?"

Derek nodded, an apprehensive expression crossing his face, "Are you okay?"

She collapsed in the chair next to his, pulling it closer to him so she could rest her head against his shoulder, "No."

Derek wrapped his arm around her shoulders and dropped a kiss on her head, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, but we have to," she sighed.

"Okay then, let's talk," he smiled gently.

"I just got off the phone with Chief Webber," she explained, "I called to see about the unforeseen issue with my transfer acceptance that he referenced in my letter."

"Okay, and what was it?" Derek prompted.

"He said that he's aware of our unusual situation with your fellowship ending midyear, and he apologized," she whispered.

"Apologized for what?" he wondered.

Meredith took a deep breath and looked up into Derek's eyes, "He apologized because he knows it's a difficult situation, but Seattle Grace does not accept mid-year transfers. I either have to go before you, at the beginning of my second year, or wait and follow you at the beginning of my third year."

Anger overtook Derek's expression, "That's ridiculous!"

Meredith nodded in agreement, "I know, but rules are rules. He said his hands are tied."

Derek's entire demeanor fell, "So…we have to live on separate coasts for six months…"

"We do," Meredith confirmed with tears in her eyes.

Derek shifted so that he could wrap his arms around her small frame, "It's okay. We don't have to go. I haven't signed my formal contract yet, so I'll just tell Richard I'm sorry, but we've had a change of heart."

"No," Meredith insisted, "Derek I told you we could do this. We'll make it work."

He frowned, "I don't want to be away from you for half a year."

"I don't want that either, but Seattle will be good for both of us in the long run. We can't let a minor roadblock thwart all of our plans, Der. If we refuse opportunities that create short term inconveniences we'll never make it in this field."

"I'm going to visit you. Every single time I have more than 24 hours off I will be there," he announced.

Meredith shook her head, "One weekend a month, regardless of our schedules. That way we can guarantee the time off instead of flying across the country for a five hour visit," she reasoned.

Derek nodded, "Deal."

"Who's going to go first?" she asked.

"I…I think maybe you should. You were right when you said it was easiest to transfer after your internship. If I go first you'll already be a third year when you arrive, and the other residents will have had even more time to build working relationships with the attendings that you will have missed out on," he explained.

She nodded, "The Chief said that all of the Grace interns are given two weeks off after their test. We only get a few days out here, but I can go and get settled as soon as my exam is over since I won't be returning next year anyway."

"I'll go with you for those two weeks," Derek offered.

"Are you sure you can do that?" Meredith asked.

"Absolutely," he nodded, "I have plenty of vacation time saved up and I'm already completing my fellowship early. With everything you're doing for me…I can spare two weeks."

"Good," Meredith smiled, "it'll be nice to have you with me at least for a little while."

Suddenly, the sound of Meredith's pager roared through the room, "911, I have to take this. We'll finish this later," she assured him with a quick kiss before turning to run out of the room.

"Godspeed, Dr. Grey," Derek called.

She laughed as she exited the room. They would without a doubt be okay.


	4. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! I'm both shocked an elated to find that people are actually into this story. This chapter is more of a filler than anything, and it's the last of my banked chapters. Pretty much I just wanted to explain some feelings that both parties were having about the move. I, unfortunately, have finals coming up so I cannot promise quick updates, but I have the general outline of the story in my head so it shouldn't be too hard for me to keep up. Anyway, this story won't be super long. Once I get Meredith to Seattle it'll be about one chapter per month or so of their time apart! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND WORDS AS WELL!**

* * *

Derek walked into the apartment around 8 PM on a lovely summer evening to find Meredith asleep in their large recliner with a textbook open in her lap. He couldn't help but smile at the sight. She had been working so hard at the hospital lately and what little free time she had was dedicated to studying for her intern exam. Sleep was hardy a priority these days.

There wasn't a doubt in Derek's mind that she would pass the exam. Most of the attendings and upper level residents at Mt. Sinai agreed that Meredith was the best intern they'd seen in years. He sighed at the thought. She had made quite the reputation for herself in only a year, and, while it would follow her to Seattle through letters of recommendation and other such professional networks, he knew she'd have to do it all over again when they arrived. It was especially hard for Derek when he considered the fact that she would have easily been chosen to perform the first solo surgery of her year if she hadn't made the decision to uproot her life for him.

He shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of those thoughts. Meredith hated when he thought that way. She swore that this was not a sacrifice, that she wanted to go with him, that she knew he would do the same for her.

Derek knew all of these things were true, but he still felt guilty from time to time and those feelings would not disappear completely until he saw Meredith happy and succeeding in Seattle. It was the only remedy.

He walked over to her and took the textbook from her lap, carefully marking her place before closing it and placing on the coffee table. He then retrieved the blanket from the back of the couch and gently slid into the chair beside her, wrapping her up in his arms, and covering them both soft chenille fabric.

Meredith's eyes fluttered open at the disturbance, "Derek?" she questioned groggily.

Derek kissed her forehead softly, "It's me. Go back to sleep."

"I need to study," she rasped without bothering to move.

"You can study later," Derek promised, "you should get some sleep now."

"But the test is in a few days and I need to pack," she tried in spite of the fact that her eyes were already closing.

"I'll whisper neurology facts in your ear while you sleep, and when you wake up I'll quiz you on them," he joked.

"Fair enough," Meredith laughed tiredly. She snuggled up to Derek and let the soothing motions of his palm on her back lull her into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

Meredith slipped back into consciousness two hours later, rubbing the last of the sleep out of her eyes and rolling her neck around in an attempt to work out the kinks that had developed during her nap.

"Stiff?" Derek asked, quickly moving to massage the knots from her neck and shoulders.

"Yeah, thanks," she breathed, staring at her textbook.

Derek followed her line of sight, "Did you want to hit the books a little? I'll help you."

"I think…maybe…I can take one night off," she offered, though it was unclear to Derek whether she her words were meant to be a statement or a question.

"One night off won't hurt, Meredith. You've got this either way," he assured.

"I just…we don't have very many nights left here," she confided, "I'd rather spend some time with you."

Derek smiled, leaning down to kiss her lips gently, "We've had some good times here."

Meredith nodded her agreement, "I remember being so nervous to move in with you, but this turned out to be the first place that's ever felt like home to me."

"That's not going to go away, Mer. Seattle will feel like home, too."

She was amazed by both the confidence in his tone and his ability to read her mind and pinpoint her worries, "How are you so sure about all of this?"

"Well…for me home was my mom's house for a long time. In a sense I guess it still is. But I also believe that home is the place you long to be. So for me, home isn't a place anymore. Home is wherever you are, because no matter how good or bad my day is I just want you to be there when it's over. That's why I'm sure Seattle will be home," Derek explained.

"You're my home, too," Meredith smiled, pulling him down for another sweet kiss, "I love you."

"I love you, too. And I know this won't be easy, but we'll get through it. It's only six months," he encouraged.

"Only six months," she sighed, "but it'll be worth it."

"Come on," Derek began, pulling them both up from the recliner, "I'll buy you a pizza."

"You're so good to me," she teased.

As they exited the apartment hand-in-hand and headed for their favorite pizza joint just down the street, Meredith couldn't help but wonder how the move would affect these moments. Would they have a place to go for random snack dates at 10 PM in Seattle? Would their new place serve as the private world she'd grown to view their apartment as? Would the six months of waiting to find out drive her insane? The closer they came to the impending move, the more daunting it seemed. A small voice in the back of her mind screamed that she should have taken Derek up on his offer to stay in New York.

However, a louder, more rational voice was excited about the move. That voice told her to look forward to a new adventure with the man she loved. The move would be good for both of their careers, they'd have a larger home, and they'd have a whole new city to make memories in. The rest she'd have to take on faith.


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey all, the fact that people are interested in this story is bewildering to me! Thank you all so much! Anyway, this chapter will finally bring us to Seattle so we can start the "real" story, if you will. I didn't realize when I first started the story, but it definitely seems to focus more on Meredith than on Derek so far. I have the first month written, but it needs to be proofread so I can't say for sure when it will be posted, but I hope it will be later tonight! Enjoy!**

* * *

Meredith wore a contagious smile as she exited the Mt. Sinai intern locker room for the last time. The large box in her arms held the contents of her locker, ready to be properly packed and placed on the moving truck.

Part of her was sad to be leaving Mt. Sinai for the last time as an employee, but an astronomically larger part of her was ecstatic that she was no longer an intern. It would be nice to move up a little on the surgical food chain.

She was well aware of the fact that she would still be relatively low ranking in comparison to the majority of the hospital, but at least in Seattle she'd have her own interns to pass grunt work off to.

"How's my favorite resident?" Derek asked as he appeared at her side, taking the box from her arms.

"Excited to finally BE resident," she beamed.

He ushered her into an empty on-call room and placed her box on the lower bunk before pulling her into a tight hug, "I'm so proud of you, Meredith. I can't wait until full results arrive so you'll officially be the best intern there was."

Meredith laughed at the idea. Although the former interns had already received their preliminary test results, more detailed results were going to follow sometime in the next eight weeks. Those results would rank the interns numerically by score, and Derek was fully convinced that Meredith would rank first in her class just as he had several years earlier.

"I don't have to be the best, just better than you," she joked.

"There isn't a doubt in my mind that you'll be giving me a run for my money soon," he shrugged.

"Thank you," she smiled, kissing his cheek.

"Anyway, I dragged you in here because I got you a present," Derek grinned, pulling a box from his lab coat pocket. It was rather bulky and left Meredith wondering how she hadn't noticed it bulging out of his side.

"You didn't have to get me anything," she sighed, though it was difficult to hide her excitement at the prospect of a gift.

"I did. I'm so proud of everything you've accomplished, and I'm also grateful for your support lately. No amount of thanks will ever be enough, but I figured this was a start," he smiled.

Meredith carefully pulled the wrapping paper off of the box and pulled it open, revealing a shiny new silver watch. She gasped and removed it from the package, "Derek it's beautiful!"

She flipped it over in her hands and noticed an engraving on the back.

 _To my favorite resident_

 _Love, Derek_

"Thank you," she choked out, removing her old watch and replacing it with the new one, "it's perfect."

Derek moved back into her space, wrapping his arms around her tightly, "I noticed you fighting with the clasp on your other watch and when I saw this one I had to get it for you."

"I love it," she smiled, kissing him lovingly.

"I love you," he countered.

* * *

"That's the last box," Derek announced later that evening.

"It all looks so strange without my things," Meredith mused as she looked around the apartment.

"I know, but soon enough it won't have my things either," Derek smiled.

All of Meredith's belongings were gone except her suitcase, which would be flying to Seattle with them the next morning. The moving truck had been sent out as soon as Derek loaded the last box. It, along with their car, was set to reach Seattle within a few days of their arrival.

"Are you sure you'll be okay without a car?" Meredith asked for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"Mer, I'll be fine. We only ever really used the car to visit Mom or to get out of the city anyway. You'll need it everyday," he assured.

"I just feel bad leaving you without it," she admitted.

"It's Manhattan. A car is a completely unnecessary luxury here," he insisted.

Suddenly, Meredith crossed the room, flinging her arms around his neck, "I'm going to miss you so much."

Derek returned the hug, kissing her cheek quickly, "Meredith, I'll be with you for the next two weeks."

"But this is it. This is the end of New York," she explained.

"I'll miss it, too," he breathed.

"This is where we fell in love," she smiled.

"And for that I will always be grateful, but this new chapter in our lives won't change that. Nothing will ever change that," he promised.

"No," she agreed, "but this place still needs a proper goodbye," she finished coyly.

Derek pulled back and smirked at her, his eyes smoldering, "That it does."

Before Meredith could respond, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her off to their bedroom for the last time.

The next morning as their plane ascended, Meredith watched the buildings of New York shrink and fade into the distance. She'd entered the city as a kid who was scared and alone, but held dreams of someday becoming a surgeon.

Derek gave her hand a good squeeze, and she offered a silent thank you to whoever was listening for everything she'd found in her years there. She was leaving New York as a confident, well-balanced woman with a career, a man who loved her (along with the family he'd brought her into), and an overwhelming sense of hope for her future.

* * *

Meredith sighed as she opened her eyes to another dreary day. She'd lived in Seattle as a child but had since forgotten about the weather conditions in the city. In their three days of living in Seattle, Derek and Meredith hadn't seen the sun once.

She rolled over and smiled when she noticed that Derek was still sound asleep. It was a rarity for her to be the first one up.

Her gazed shifted between the man beside her and the room around her. It was still a little strange to be in such a new yet familiar place. They'd opted to move into her mother's old house rather than shopping around for a new place. The home was large, beautiful, and already paid off.

Ellis had turned the place over to Meredith on her twenty-first birthday and she'd been renting it out for extra cash ever since. Luckily, she was able to clear out the previous renters with little difficulty and just like that she and Derek had a home in Seattle.

"I thought you said it was creepy to watch each other sleep," Derek muttered.

Meredith jumped at the sudden noise bursting through the quiet room, "Actually, I said it was creepy for you to watch me sleep. You probably enjoy it when the roles are reversed."

He chuckled, pulling her close to him and kissing her gently, "Good morning."

"Good morning," she smiled.

After breakfast, Meredith and Derek decided to venture to Bainbridge Island for the day.

As they stood on the passenger deck, watching the waves, Derek wrapped his arms around Meredith's waist, "Welcome home," he whispered before kissing her cheek.

Meredith leaned into his warmth and breathed in the sea air. Welcome home indeed.


	6. Chapter 5 (Month 1)

**WEEK 1**

"Now, we're going to give you a few weeks to settle in before we assign you interns, but feel free to borrow from the other residents if you need to until then," the Chief smiled as he stopped outside of the residents' locker room.

"Thank you Chief, I appreciate you accommodating me," Meredith replied.

"We're happy to have you here, Dr. Grey. Now, you'll find scrubs as well as your lab coat, ID badge, and pager in your locker. Dr. Bailey will give you your assignment for the day. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. Best of luck with your first day," he concluded.

"I appreciate it," Meredith smiled before venturing into the locker room.

The room was blessedly empty aside from a curly haired Asian woman sitting on a bench between rows of cubbies. Meredith quickly got to work examining cubbies to find hers.

"It's that one," the woman announced, pointing to a cubby on the opposite row, "right next to mine."

"Thanks," Meredith offered with a weak smile.

"You're the new second year…Meredith Grey, right?" the woman pried.

"Um, yeah. That's me," she answered wearily.

"And you're Ellis Grey's daughter if I'm not mistaken," the woman continued.

Meredith groaned, "Does everyone know that already?"

"No, but I like to size up the competition ahead of time. Cristina Yang," the woman said with an offered hand.

Meredith shook gratefully, "Meredith Grey…though you apparently already knew that."

"Have you chosen a specialty yet?" Cristina half-asked, half-demanded.

"Mt. Sinai doesn't let interns specialize," Meredith tried.

"Neither does Grace, but I know what I want to do," came Cristina's retort.

"Fine," Meredith sighed, "I'm leaning very heavily towards neuro."

"Good," Cristina nodded, "I'm banking on cardio. I'd hate to have to take on Ellis Grey's daughter along the way."

"You really don't beat around the bush do you?" Meredith quipped with an eye roll.

Cristina shrugged, "It's tough to get on cardio around here."

Meredith turned to her locker and changed for her shift before turning back to Cristina, "Do you know where I can find Dr. Bailey? The Chief said she'd have my assignment," she inquired as she wrapped her stethoscope around her neck.

"I'm actually headed to get my own assignment and meet my lackeys if you'd like to join me," Cristina offered.

"Thanks, that'd be nice," Meredith smiled as she followed Cristina out of the room in search of Dr. Bailey.

* * *

"Nice job, Grey," Dr. Bailey offered as the scrubbed out of surgery later that afternoon. Meredith had been placed on Bailey's services for the day and they'd just finished repairing a perforated bowel.

"Thank you, Dr. Bailey," she nodded.

"The Chief and everyone at Sinai raved about you…it's nice to see some follow through in the OR. That's rare these days," Bailey offered.

"Oh…um…thank," she smiled.

"Surgeons don't say um, Grey. Go get a bite to eat and I'll page you when I'm ready for pre-op on our next patient," Bailey commanded.

Meredith silently fled the room and made her way to the cafeteria. She was secretly thrilled with Bailey's compliments, but didn't want to jinx anything. It was only her first day and her first surgery. There was still plenty of time for her opinion to change.

Opting for a lunch consisting of fries and a slice of pizza, Meredith quickly chose a table in the corner of the large cafeteria. She was just about to call Derek to update him on her first shift when a tray slammed down across from her.

Cristina was the tray's owner and Meredith was rather surprised to find that she'd been chosen as the woman's lunch companion.

"How's your day going? Any surgeries?" Cristina inquired as if they'd known each other for ages.

"Perfed bowel with Bailey. How about you?" Meredith wondered.

"Nothing," Cristina frowned, "I was supposed to scrub in on a valve replacement, but the patient spiked a fever out of nowhere."

"Sucks," Meredith offered.

"Yeah. Bailey on the first day, huh? That's rough," Cristina asked, changing the subject.

"I mean she's intimidating, but she was nice enough to me," Meredith responded with furrowed brows.

Cristina nodded, "Yeah, well she was my resident. They call her the Nazi, though in my experience she isn't so bad if you don't mess up."

"Noted," Meredith nodded.

"What's your deal anyway?" Cristina wondered.

"What do you mean?" Meredith raised an eyebrow at the question.

"Why does one transfer across the country after their internship ends?" Cristina elaborated.

"Grace has a higher ranked program than Sinai," Meredith responded with a shrug, choosing not to divulge all the details until she got to know this person better.

Cristina shrugged, seeming to accept the response for what it was. Just then, two more trays were slammed onto the table. A tall, bright eyed blonde and a sort of curly haired puppy-dog eyed guy occupied the table's two remaining seats.

"Great, Barbie and Bambi are here to ruin my lunch with their endless stream of joy," Cristina stated with a roll of her eyes.

"We can't all be as hardcore and mysterious as you, can we?" the blonde retorted. She turned to Meredith with a bright smile, "Hi! I'm Isobel Stevens, but you can call me Izzie. That's George O'Malley."

Meredith's eyes followed Izzie's pointing finger to the fourth occupant of the table who seemed to be staring at her. When he realized he'd been caught, George looked to the ground as blush overtook his cheeks, "I'm Meredith Grey. It's nice to meet you both."

"Likewise!" Izzie exclaimed.

Cristina noticed the curious look in Meredith's eye and chose to explain the presence of the others, "Blondie and 007 here were in my intern group. In spite of my constant insistence to the contrary, they think that we are all friends."

"We are all friends," George piped up having finally found his voice.

Cristina grumbled something unintelligible under her breath, "Where's evil spawn?"

"He's in the pit doing sutures," Izzie giggled.

"Pissed off Bailey again," George explained.

"Who is evil spawn?" Meredith asked.

"Alex Karev. He was the fourth intern in our group last year," Izzie explained.

Meredith nodded in understanding. She wasn't sure how it had happened, but it seemed she was being dragged into this group of friends whether she liked it or not.

* * *

"Hey Mer," Derek smiled as soon as he saw her name flashing across his phone screen, "how was the first shift?"

"It was good," she replied, "I scrubbed in three times and I managed not to make a fool of myself. Plus I think I may have made some friends."

"That's great. Everyone misses you around here. I've been chastised repeatedly for stripping this hospital of its best intern," Derek chuckled.

"I'm sure it'll be good to have your ego knocked down a few pegs," she joked.

Derek chuckled at her jab, "I have to finish up with some post op patients then I'm headed home. What are you up to for the rest of the evening?" he asked.

"I'll probably order a pizza and go to bed," she shrugged even though he couldn't see her.

Derek thought that sounded like a lonely evening and frowned at the idea of it, "I'll call you when I get home, then."

"Okay," she smiled, "bye Derek."

"Bye Mer, I love you," he offered.

"I love you, too," she responded before hanging up.

And he did call. They talked and laughed and joked, and both parties knew it was exactly what they'd be doing if they were in the same city. Derek stayed on the line with her until Meredith announced that she was exhausted and that she was heading up to bed.

Once she settled into bed, however, Meredith found herself unable to sleep. Her evening on the phone with Derek had been just what she needed. It was comfortable and familiar, but now she couldn't help wishing he was actually here. As if he could read her mind, her phone rang from the nightstand only moments later.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Hey," he replied, "I can't sleep."

"Neither can I," she admitted.

"It's too quiet around here. I miss the snoring," he joked.

"I do not snore," she giggled.

"You do, though," he responded.

They laughed together for a few minutes before silence came upon them once again.

"I miss you," Meredith whispered.

"I miss you, too," Derek breathed.

"Can you stay on the line? At least until I fall asleep?" she asked.

"Of course. Goodnight, Mer."

"Goodnight, Der."

* * *

 **WEEK 2**

The rest of Meredith's first week in Seattle was much like her first day. Everyday didn't include a surgery, but most did, and that was enough for now. Every night she'd go home alone and talk to Derek. He wasn't always available for marathon calls like he'd been that first night, but she still felt his presence in spite of the thousands of miles between them.

She was just about to head home after a shift during her second week when Cristina stopped her.

"Hey Meredith, we're all heading to Joe's. Do you want to come with?" she asked.

"Joe's?" Meredith questioned.

"It's the bar across the street," Cristina explained.

"Sure, I could go for a drink," Meredith agreed. She sent a quick text to Derek, promising to call when she got home, and made her way across the street with Izzie, George, and Cristina.

* * *

Meredith and Cristina were waiting for the bartender to refill their drinks when she felt eyes on her. She turned and saw a tall man in a leather jacket with sandy hair and cheekbones that could cut glass eyeing her up and down. The way he was looking at her was making her slightly uncomfortable, so she turned back to the bar hoping that he would stop on his own.

Instead, much to her dismay, a hand landed on her shoulder less than a minute later.

"Can I buy you a drink, gorgeous?" cheekbones asked.

"No thank you, I'm fine," Meredith responded politely.

His hand moved down her arm and rested at the crook of her elbow, "Come on, give a guy a chance, would you? I can help you unwind."

"I'm not interested," Meredith quickly pulled her arm away and helped Cristina grab drinks for the table before walking away.

"What was that, Meredith?" Cristina asked as they rejoined the others.

"That guy was so hot," Izzie added, nodding in agreement.

"He was creepy," Meredith frowned, "did you see how he was eyeing me?"

Cristina raised an eyebrow, "That's the whole point. Take your prize."

It suddenly dawned on Meredith what they were implying, "I have a boyfriend," she explained.

"Oh..uh…boyfriend?" George choked on his beer.

Meredith nodded, "He's back in New York but he'll be here soon."

"How long have you been together?" Izzie asked.

"Seven years," Meredith answered easily.

George looked defeated, Cristina looked uninterested, and Izzie looked downright elated.

"That's so sweet," Izzie gushed, "How did you meet?"

 _Meredith sighed as she exited the bathroom to realize she had lost her tour group. She hurried in the direction she thought they may have gone in hopes of finding them, but instead she slammed into a hard body._

 _"I am so sorry," she said quickly, looking up to meet the sparkling blue eyes of a raven haired man. Her breath caught as she took him in. He couldn't have been that much older than she was. He was definitely a student, judging by his worn jeans and the backpack he was carrying._

 _"Don't worry about it," he smiled. It was a beautiful smile. And his voice cut through her like no other sound in the world._

 _"Have you seen a tour group?" she asked._

 _He shook his head, "No, but some of the guides do have a habit of losing group members."_

 _She giggled, "I guess I'm the lucky lost member of the day, then."_

 _"Well," he shrugged, "I could take you around if you'd like. I'm hardly an official university tour guide, but I know my way around well enough."_

 _Meredith bit her lip, "You really don't have to do that. I'm sure you're very busy."_

 _Derek shook his head, "It's no big deal. I have a few hours to kill, anyway."_

 _She shrugged in response, "I'm in no position to turn down a tour."_

 _"Derek Shepherd," he offered his hand with another smile, "fourth year Columbia med student."_

 _"Meredith Grey," she responded, "third year at NYU and hopeful future Columbia med student."_

 _"Meredith," her name sounded like a prayer coming from his lips, and though it was the first time he'd ever said it, it still sent shivers down her spine._

"Meredith!" Izzie exclaimed, tearing her from her memories.

"What's up?" Meredith asked.

"I asked how you met," Izzie repeated.

"Oh…my tour group at Columbia Med lost me and then I literally ran into him. He took me around campus and then we went out for coffee and talked for a really long time. We've been together every since," she shrugged.

"That's so adorable," Izzie gushed.

Meredith and Cristina rolled their eyes in perfect sync, "What's his name?" Izzie demanded.

"Derek," Meredith supplied.

"Okay," Cristina cut in, "I can't take this anymore. Let's talk about surgery."

Meredith smiled at Cristina, grateful for the change of subject. It wasn't that she wanted her relationship to be kept a secret from her new friends. It was just hard not to miss Derek when she was talking about him.

Instead, she threw herself into the lively conversation about surgical procedures they'd performed as well as those they dreamed of someday performing.

* * *

Later that night, Meredith crawled into bed and called Derek.

"Hey," he croaked in a sleep laced voice.

"Did I wake you up? I'm so sorry. I'll just call you in the morning," Meredith rambled.

"I'm awake anyway," he responded gently, "besides I always want to talk to you."

"I still feel bad for waking you," she frowned.

"It's not a big deal, Mer. Just a cat nap. How was your night?" he asked.

"It was fun…well except for this guy who hit on me…but don't worry I shut that down," she assured him.

"I'll bet you did," he chuckled. Meredith had a history of shutting down guys in bars. Derek had always found her feisty loyalty quite impressive. It was one of the reasons he didn't bother getting jealous of random losers.

She sighed, "I'm so glad I don't have to do the whole bar guy thing. Izzie and Cristina thought the guy was so hot and it was just…I'm glad I already found you."

"I'm glad you did, too."

Meredith could practically hear him smiling through the phone, "You know I was thinking about the first time we met earlier."

Derek chuckled, "Ah, yes. The time some undergrad slammed into me for no reason as I was minding my own business."

She rolled her eyes in spite of the fact that he couldn't see her, "Some undergrad, huh?"

"The second I saw you I knew I had to get you to go out with me or I'd never get you out of my head," he confided.

"And now?" she prompted.

"And now I still can't get you out of my head, but at least I know you're mine."

"That I am," she whispered.

"Stay on the line?" Derek requested as he stifled a yawn.

"Definitely. Goodnight, Derek."

"Goodnight, Meredith."

* * *

 **WEEK 3**

Meredith and Cristina reentered the living room of Meredith's house with three margarita glasses in hand.

Alex, Izzie, and George were sitting in various places around the room, awaiting their return. Meredith had decided to invite her friends over for dinner. Derek was on-call that night and had already been pulled into a late surgery that was sure to last several hours, so she figured what the heck.

They'd polished off two pizzas and the girls were steadily working their way through a bottle of tequila while the guys stuck to beer.

"You know, this place is huge," Izzie began, "you must get lonely here by yourself."

Meredith shrugged, "Maybe a little."

"You know what would be a great remedy for that?" Izzie grinned.

Crap. Meredith had walked right into whatever trap Izzie had engineered, "What?"

"Roommates. George and I live in this really crappy apartment and this place would be like a heavenly upgrade," Izzie nodded.

"Yeah," George agreed, "it would be amazing to live here."

"I'm not looking for roommates," Meredith muttered quickly.

"But this place is huge! We all work weird hours and we won't be in your way," Izzie pitched.

"Plus we're great company when you want it," George added.

"I really don't need roommates. Derek will be here at the beginning of the new year, anyway," Meredith nodded.

"Roommates are a great way to ease tension when you're living with a guy," Izzie attempted a different approach.

"I don't need help easing tension. Derek and I have lived together since I finished undergrad. We know how to coexist," Meredith assured her.

"But—" Izzie tried, only to be cutoff.

"She said she doesn't want roommates, Barbie. Layoff," Cristina demanded.

Meredith shot her a look of thanks while Izzie pouted. George just shrugged it off. This clearly wasn't his biggest concern.

When it became clear twenty minutes later that Izzie was a little too tipsy to get over the rejection of her idea, Alex offered to drive her home. George opted to go along so that she wouldn't be home alone in her apparent fragile state.

Meredith sighed as she turned to Cristina, "What was that about?"

"Barbie can't hold her liquor," Cristina shrugged, "she gets a little whiney after a few."

"Clearly," Meredith muttered.

"Don't feel guilty," Cristina encouraged, "it's your house. If you don't want roommates that's your call. I don't want roommates either."

"Thanks, I'm glad someone sees where I'm coming from," Meredith nodded.

Suddenly, a picture frame on the small table beside the couch caught Cristina's eye. She lifted the frame and inspected the photo closely. It was of Meredith and Derek at his older sister Nancy's wedding. They were both laughing as they danced together, neither having known the camera was trained on them. It was one of her favorite photos.

"This is Derek?" Cristina asked.

Meredith nodded her confirmation.

"Do you have any other pictures?" she continued.

Meredith walked over to the book shelf and pulled down another frame, handing it to Cristina. This particular frame held a photo Derek's mom had taken one Christmas while she was in medical school. They were curled up together in a recliner in his mother's living room, smiling brightly for the camera.

"I knew it," Cristina muttered.

"Knew what?" Meredith wondered.

"This is Derek Shepherd," Cristina explained.

Meredith nodded slowly, "Yeah, so?"

"So, isn't he joining the neuro staff once his fellowship is up?" Cristina demanded.

"Yeah, he is," Meredith confirmed, "why do you know everything about the hospital staff?"

"I like to be informed," she shrugged, "He's really talented," Cristina stated in a tone bordering on awe-struck.

Meredith snorted, "Now he is. He wasn't always."

Cristina raised an eyebrow, "Do tell!"

"Maybe another time," Meredith waved her off.

"It's sort of curious that you never mentioned your secret boyfriend was also a surgeon…one who's coming to work at our hospital at that," Cristina stated.

"Look, it took me a really long time to escape my mother's shadow in New York, and I feel like I may be doing it all over again now that I'm in Seattle. I didn't want to announce that the future attending I'm dating was going to be arriving here and have to outwork that label, too," she sighed.

"Grace doesn't take midyear transfers," Cristina pointed out.

"They don't. And Derek is finishing his fellowship midyear. We thought it would be better for me to come after my internship than to wait until I was a third year. That's why I'm here and he isn't," Meredith replied as her eyes glazed over.

"Well then, think of this as your chance. No one thinks you got into this program with anything other than your surgical skills. Prove it before he gets here," Cristina supplied.

"I intend to," Meredith assured her.

"Is it still going to be a secret when he arrives?" Cristina wondered.

"No. We know how to be professional when working together, and the Chief already knows about us. We were sure to disclose our relationship before we accepted these jobs. It won't be a secret because we don't want anyone to write us off as a fling. This has never been a fling," Meredith explained.

"He's the one?" Cristina asked, complete with dramatic air quotes.

Meredith laughed at the gesture, "I don't think I'd move cross country to live alone for half a year if he wasn't."

"Good for you then," Cristina smiled.

"Thanks."

Meredith was becoming more and more grateful for Cristina's friendship with each passing day. It was clear that they understood each other fairly well, and it was nice to have an ally in Seattle.

"It's late," Cristina began, "and I think I maybe shouldn't drive."

Meredith rolled her eyes, "Pick a bedroom, Cristina."

"Don't worry," Cristina assured her, "I won't tell Izzie."

Both women laughed as they made their way up to bed. Meredith was beginning to truly enjoy her new circle. She could only hope that Derek would fit in too.

* * *

 **WEEK 4**

"Honey, I'm home!" Derek announced as he walked through the front door.

Meredith practically leaped off the couch and ran to him, jumping into his arms and knocking him to the ground. It had been a long week. She'd worked 80 hours before Friday so that she could be sure she'd have the weekend off to spend with Derek.

She kissed him hard, weaving her fingers through his perfect curls. When she was finally forced to pull back for oxygen, she smiled brightly at him.

"That was the single greatest greeting I have ever received," Derek joked, panting.

"Hi," Meredith giggled.

He pushed the hair away from her face and looked into her eyes, "God, I missed you so much," he said before pulling her into another long kiss.

Meredith pulled him into a seated position, pulling his t-shirt over his head and starting in on his belt.

"Whoa, Mer," Derek gasped as she cupped him.

"Derek Christopher, I have not gone this long with out sex in seven years. I can't take it anymore," she growled.

Derek chuckled and pulled them both to their feet, "Can we at least make it to the couch?"

WEEK 1

"Whatever," she replied, attacking his neck and collar bone with kisses.

The next few days were spent making up for lost time. Together they managed to explore the city, find a quaint little Italian bistro they would definitely be returning to, and get their fill of each other.

The goodbye was a hard one. They knew it would likely be another month before they'd see each other, but Meredith reassured them both by pointing out that only five months remained until they were together again.


	7. Chapter 6 (Month 2)

**Holy crap, this chapter was a beast to write. I think I maybe accidentally lumped too many events into one month, but I had ideas and I didn't want to waste them. Thank you once again for your kind reviews and I hope you enjoy the update. I also feel it's worth nothing that I forewent my usual meticulous proofreading process in order to post this sooner. I'm really sorry for any mistakes.**

* * *

 **WEEK 1**

Meredith fought to catch her breath as she lay sweaty and sated next to Derek. He'd surprised her by arriving a day earlier than expected and she'd come home after a long shift to find a hot meal on the table. After dinner, he ran her a bath and massaged every ounce of tension out of her back and shoulders before leading her to bed.

Derek lazily flung an arm across her small body, pulling her closer to him. He kissed her deeply, intimately, but unlike those from earlier in the evening, this kiss wasn't leading to anything. It was something he'd always done after sex, ever since the first time. She'd asked him about it once and he'd shrugged and said he just loved her. Point blank.

"I'm glad you're here," she mumbled, burying her head against his neck and inhaling his familiar scent.

"My surgery today got cancelled and I missed you," he replied, kissing her head gently.

This was the best part for her—not that the sex was anything to complain about. That just wasn't the point with Derek, though. It was the private moments afterwards. She always felt so safe, wrapped in his arms in their own private bubble. They'd cuddle, and chat, and kiss, and it would remain between just the two of them for all of time. In those moments, she could take on anything. She could conquer all of her fears and move mountains. It was the sort of intimacy she'd longed for all her life, though she didn't realize it was missing until she'd met Derek.

"I missed you, too. Things have been…stressful lately," she admitted.

"I know. I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I wish you were here all the time," she stated.

"I will be. Soon," he promised.

"You will," she agreed, "but until then I'll still wish. I can't wait until these nights are a regular occurrence again."

"New York is quiet without you," he confided, "I think about you all the time. It's so strange being in that apartment and not having you there with me. Some nights, when I'm really tired, I half expect you to walk through the door and crawl into bed with me."

"I know the feeing," she assured him.

"I sleep better with you around," he murmured, kissing the tip of her nose, "even if you do snore like a freight train."

She frowned, grabbing her pillow and smacking him with it, "I do not snore!" she insisted.

"You do," he chuckled, trying to pry the pillow from her tiny hands. He eventually gave up and grabbed his own pillow from behind his head. Before they knew it, a full blown war had erupted. Her giggles pierced the air with a free quality that he hadn't heard in her voice since this whole ordeal began. In that moment, for the first time, the guilt Derek had been harboring over the move began to dissipate.

And a little later they fell asleep, spooned together tightly, a smile on each of their faces.

* * *

"Why exactly are we venturing to the top of the space needle?" Meredith asked as the stepped onto the elevator that would bring them to the top of the world famous structure the following afternoon.

Derek shrugged, "Why not?"

"Fair enough," Meredith agreed.

When they reached the top, she understood. The view was absolutely breathtaking.

"Wow," Derek breathed, stepping up to the window beside her.

"Yeah, wow," Meredith agreed.

They stood silently, taking in the scenery below until Meredith felt a pair of eyes staring into her back. She turned and locked eyes with an older, grey haired man with light eyes. The man was quick to break the contact. He was dressed in a button down shirt with a loose sweater on top and khakis that didn't hug his frame quite right. She was fairly certain she'd never seen the man before, but there was something eerily familiar about him.

A kind looking woman approached him, holding hands with a bouncing child.

"GRANDPA THATCH!," the girl exclaimed, "I can see the whole world from up here!"

Meredith gasped and turned to Derek, "I…can we…I think we need to go," she rambled.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern written across his face.

"Yeah, it's just. I…I, um, I think that's my dad. And I…" her breathing rate increased with each syllable until she ran out of words.

Derek nodded in understanding, shooting the man a glare, "Let's go," he whispered.

Just as they were about to board the elevator, Thatcher approached the couple, "Excuse me."

Meredith turned to look at him, a shell-shocked expression written across her face.

"I'm sorry to bother you," he continued, "but you look a lot like my oldest daughter."

Derek frowned deeply at the statement, glancing to Meredith for a clue as the whether she was going to respond.

"I could be completely wrong. I haven't seen her in twenty-some odd years, but you look just like her. Is your name Meredith?" he asked.

She turned to Derek with pleading eyes. This wasn't something she was interested in doing possibly ever, but definitely not now.

"It's been twenty-two years. And it wouldn't have been if you hadn't walked out," Derek scowled bitterly.

Meredith nodded her agreement and pulled Derek into the now open elevator doors. They rode down in silence, hands clasped together tightly while Thatcher remained at the top, his jaw practically on the ground.

As soon as they reached the car, the dam burst. Meredith cried in his arms for a long while. It was the first time in nearly a decade that she'd shed tears over the man. It was also the first time ever that she hadn't had to cry them alone.

She looked up to Derek whose eyes were also welling up, "Please don't leave me," she choked between sobs.

"Never," he swore.

Derek continued to rock her gently and whisper soothing things into her ear. When they returned home, they talked about her father in far more detail than ever before.

For the umpteenth time Derek thanked his lucky stars that Meredith had been lost by a tour group all those years ago. As hard as it was to see her upset, he was eternally gratefully that he was the man who was tasked with comforting her in her time of need, and he had a feeling that this particular issue would arise again. Only time would tell.

* * *

 **WEEK 2**

Charting in the tunnels was the best way to escape from the hustle and bustle of the hospital, Meredith decided. It was quiet and few people passed through.

Cristina seemed to have the same idea for the day. She appeared soon after Meredith had begun working and chose to occupy the next gurney over.

The pair worked in silence for over an hour before Cristina sighed dramatically, slamming the chart she'd been working on.

"How did you know?" Cristina asked.

"How did I know what?" Meredith replied, not bothering to look up from her own chart.

"That you were in love with Derek…" Cristina mumbled. Meredith's head snapped up at the elaboration. It was completely unlike Cristina to venture into these sorts of conversations. She slowly set her chart aside, making it clear that her friend had gained her undivided attention.

Cristina must have read the confusion and concern in Meredith's face because she quickly began to offer explanations, "Look, I know we haven't known each other that long, but we're on the same page with a lot of things. And I don't like a lot of people, but we're cool, and we can probably tell each other things without the gossip mill catching hold of them."

Meredith had to suppress a snort, "Are you saying we're friends?"

Cristina nodded, "I mean, I think so."

Meredith offered her a supportive smile, "We probably could tell each other things."

Cristina shot her a thankful look, "So, Derek…"

Meredith thought for a moment. She wasn't sure exactly how to respond, "How did I know?"

Cristina nodded.

 _It was a frigid January evening in New York. Meredith and Derek had been trapped in his apartment for days due to a blizzard, and were taking the opportunity to step outside for some fresh air now that the weather had calmed down._

 _They walked silently, hands intertwined, occasionally sharing a smile. They'd been together for six months now, and things were going exceptionally well._

 _Derek led Meredith into the coffee shop where they'd had their first date, ordering them each a hot chocolate and a cupcake to split. Before they could sit down at a table, Meredith smiled and pulled him back toward the door, "Let's go to the park."_

 _"Mer, it's freezing," he chuckled._

 _She shrugged, "We've been inside for days. It'll be nice for a little while."_

 _"You're right," he nodded._

 _The couple found a quiet bench in the nearby park and settled in, Derek's arm wrapping securely around Meredith's shoulders. She leaned into him, happy to have the extra warmth._

 _They chatted easily, discussing their schedules for the upcoming semester and the plans for Derek's sister Nancy's upcoming nuptials. They shared bites of the large cupcake until Derek pointed out that Meredith had some icing on her face._

 _He kissed her cold, red nose and removed his glove before licking his thumb and reaching to gently rub off the spot of icing. He quickly replaced the glove and cupped her cheek in his hand to be sure the small, damp spot wouldn't make her cold._

 _Meredith giggled at the gesture until she met his eyes. Her breath caught immediately. She had gotten pretty good at reading Derek's eyes in their time together. She could identify a myriad of emotions there, but this one was fairly new._

 _She'd seen this unidentified emotion before in spurts. For the first time, it overpowered everything else._

 _"I love you," he spoke softly._

 _Part of her melted at the words. Another part panicked. Then her rationale kicked in. That look—it had been there for some time. That was it. He loved her._

 _And that's when it hit her. This man had been in her life for a short time, but it felt like she'd known him forever. They'd laughed together and supported each other through every exam, worry, and headache for the past six months. On the rare night they weren't together, she secretly longed for him. She didn't even mind the constant phone calls when they were apart. The sex was amazing, but the companionship…that was even better. He'd taken her home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, where his family had accepted her as one of their own rather than a perfect stranger interrupting their holiday. They were even planning to attend his sister's wedding together in June—that was several months away. Meredith Grey was making future plans with this man. She had no interest in being away from him. Hell, she'd spent the past three days trapped in his apartment, and she hadn't wanted to run away for some alone time the second the blizzard ended. He wasn't just some guy. He wasn't like the rest. He'd become her best friend. And she was in love with him._

 _"I love you, too," she whispered._

 _He grinned broadly and pulled her into a sweet kiss. Meredith Grey was in love. It was a beautiful night._

Meredith pulled herself from her fantasy and met her friend's eyes, "I just knew."

"How?" Cristina questioned again.

"He told me he loved me, and in that moment I knew. I had known for a while before that, I think, but I didn't know what I was feeling. The second he said it, it clicked," Meredith explained.

"What do you mean you didn't know that's what you were feeling?" Cristina raised an eyebrow.

"I knew there was something different," she began, "I knew that I wanted him around all the time, that I trusted him, that he made me feel safe and comfortable when we were together. I knew he was the person I would turn to anytime something was wrong, and I knew that however I imagined my future he was in it. But I didn't know what any of that meant. No one besides Derek's ever loved me. And I certainly haven't ever loved another guy. So, I didn't know what I was feeling until he said it."

"Just like that?" Cristina inquired, bewilderment written across her face.

"Just like that," Meredith confirmed.

Cristina nodded, her expression pensive.

"Cristina, what is this about?" Meredith ventured.

"Swear you won't tell," Cristina demanded.

"I swear," Meredith assured.

Cristina sighed, "I've been sleeping with Owen Hunt for a while. We've been on two dates. Now he's saying he's in love with me."

"And you don't love him," Meredith stated.

"I don't think so…but I could," Cristina whispered.

"Give it time," Meredith encouraged, "if you're not sure then don't get his hopes up."

"It's just so fast. It's barely been a month," Cristina groaned.

"Ah," Meredith nodded in understanding, "if it helps it took Derek and I six months."

"But you still knew at the same time," Cristina grumbled.

Just then, Meredith's pager sounded, "I have to take this," she said apologetically, "call me later if you still want to talk about it."

Cristina grunted in response. With that, Meredith was gone, leaving her friend alone to contemplate the sudden complications in her love life.

* * *

 **WEEK 3**

Meredith groaned as soon as the alarm started to blare. She'd started to feel a little under the whether the previous afternoon, and there had been an abundance of tossing and turning throughout the night with very little sleep in between.

She pulled the covers over her head and reached for the phone. There were three rings before she heard his voice.

"Good morning sunshine. Are we feeling any better today?" Derek asked.

"No, we're feeling worse," she moaned.

Derek frowned, "What are your symptoms?"

Meredith pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, "I'm nauseous, my stomach is killing me, and my head hurts."

"Do you have a fever?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," she admitted, "I think I might."

"Maybe you should call in, Mer. You sound pretty out of it," he suggested.

"I can't call in, Der. Everyday I don't work is a day I don't get off when you come to visit," she explained.

"Meredith, I'm worried about you. I've only actually known you to be sick maybe once and even then you didn't sound this bad," he voiced.

"I'll be okay, Der, I promise," she pulled the phone away from her ear and glanced at the time, "I have to go. I need to ask Cristina for a ride. I don't think I'm up to driving."

"Call me later?" Derek requested.

"I will. I love you," she assured him.

"I love you, too," he responded before hanging up.

As soon as the call ended Meredith pulled herself out of bed and dragged her aching body to the bathroom. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Meredith collapsed into a chair at the nurses' station as soon as rounds ended. She'd already sent her interns on their way and didn't expect to see them again for at least a few hours. She laid her head on the desk, trying her best to block out the hustle and bustle of the surrounding hospital.

Dr. Bailey rounded the corner of the hallway and frowned at the younger doctor's position. In the near two months she'd known her, Bailey had come to realize it was unlike Meredith Grey to be anything but a hardworking professional. She quietly approached the counter and leaned against it.

"You okay, Grey?" she asked.

Meredith slowly lifted her head and almost immediately regretted it. She quickly grabbed the trashcan from below the desk and expelled the contents of her stomach. Dr. Bailey was quick to hold her ponytail away from her face. When she finished hurling she offered Dr. Bailey a weak smile, "I'm fine. Just feeling a little under the weather."

"Maybe you should go home for the day," Bailey suggested with an uncharacteristic amount of softness in her voice.

"No, it's fine," Meredith assured her as she attempted to get up and get back to work. Standing was a mistake. As soon as she was on her feet, she wobbled and was forced to grab onto Dr. Bailey for support.

"Grey, this is ridiculous. You are not well," Bailey barked.

"I just need…" Meredith couldn't find the words to finish her sentence. Everything was fuzzy.

"Come on. You need to lie down," Bailey commanded as she led the taller surgeon to a nearby exam room.

Meredith didn't bother arguing when Bailey told her not to leave and that she'd be right back to start a chart for her.

"Okay, Grey. What are your symptoms?" she began as soon as she returned.

"Nausea, headache, probable fever, I thought my stomach was hurting earlier but now the pain is more generally abdominal than concentrated to one area, and as of about five minutes ago dizziness," Meredith spewed.

Bailey nodded in appreciation. Even when she was ill the girl was thorough, "When did this begin?"

"The nausea started yesterday afternoon. The other symptoms have arrived gradually since then. The pain and dizziness began this morning, though."

"Is there any chance you could be pregnant?" Bailey asked gently.

Meredith's face fell and her heart dropped to her stomach. She motioned for the trashcan and wretched again as soon as Bailey handed it over, "It's unlikely but not impossible…"

Dr. Bailey nodded, "We'll run some tests. I know you're hurting, but as you know I cannot give you anything for the pain until we rule out pregnancy."

Meredith nodded, "Fine. Just hurry, please."

"I'll put a rush on the tests. A nurse will be in momentarily to draw blood. Is there anyone you need me to call?" she asked calmly.

"Derek," Meredith gasped, "Derek Shepherd. He's my emergency contact, so the hospital has his number. If he's in surgery call Mt. Sinai and have them page him that it's me."

* * *

Derek was casually reading the OR board when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He frowned at the caller ID—Seattle Grace Hospital. He shrugged. It was probably either about his contract or a consult.

"This is Dr. Shepherd," he answered professionally.

"Hello, Dr. Shepherd. This is Dr. Miranda Bailey of Seattle Grace," an unfamiliar voice responded. He recognized the name. Miranda Bailey was Meredith's boss. She looked up to and respected the woman immensely.

"How can I help you today, Dr. Bailey?" he asked kindly.

"I'm calling on behalf of Meredith Grey. She's been admitted for testing and she asked that we contact you," Bailey said.

Derek's heart dropped. He felt sick just hearing those words, "Do you know what's wrong with her?"

"Not yet," Dr. Bailey answered, "but we do know she's in quite a bit of pain right now."

Derek sucked in a breath, "Tell her I'll be there. I'm going to the airport right now. Thank you, doctor."

He didn't bother with goodbyes before hanging up. He ran to the office of his immediate supervisor, practically beating down the door.

"Come in," called a voice from within the office.

"I have to go. I'll be back. I don't know when. But it's…Meredith…she's in the hospital. I have to GO!" Derek choked out.

His boss nodded, "Okay, Shep. Do what you have to and keep us posted on Grey. I'll let the Chief know what's going on."

"Thank you," Derek called over his shoulder as he sprinted to his locker room. He didn't bother changing his clothes. He made sure he had his keys and wallet and left the building, quickly hailing a cab.

The ride to the airport was blessedly light on traffic, which was a New York miracle in itself. A panicked call to his mother's travel agent left him with the knowledge that the next available flight to Seattle was leaving from JFK in less than an hour.

He paid the cab driver and pushed his way through the crowded airport until he arrived at the ticket desk for the airline the agent had told him about.

"Hi," the young girl behind the counter greeted with an eager smile, "how may I help you?"

"I need a ticket on the next plane to Seattle," he choked out.

"There's a plane departing in 36 minutes, but the only available tickets are first class. Combined with your last minute reservation, the ticket will be $1200. We'll also ask them to hold off on closing the plane until you arrive, but they'll only wait an additional fifteen minutes for you to make it to the gate. There's another available flight at—"

"I'll take the one in 30 minutes," Derek breathed, cutting her off, "I'm sorry to interrupt you but I have to get to her."

He fumbled with his wallet and handed the girl his credit card. She looked sympathetic as she ran the card and handed him his ticket, wishing him a safe flight.

Derek hurried through security. He had little trouble since he hadn't had time to grab any of his things. One guard thought that was a little suspicious, but luckily believed his explanation of events and let him through to the plane rather than detaining him. He quickly texted his flight information to Meredith's phone before shutting it down for takeoff.

"I'm coming for you, Mer," he breathed as the plane ascended. It would take him five or six hours, but he'd get there. He had to.

* * *

Meredith turned hopefully to Dr. Bailey when the door to her exam room opened.

"I'm sorry, Grey. I rushed your results, but the lab is backed up in spite of that. It'll probably be another hour or two before we know for sure," Bailey announced.

Meredith nodded in understanding.

"How's your pain?"

"Six," Meredith choked out.

Dr. Bailey took a moment to observe her newest resident. A sheen of sweat covered her face as she shifted restlessly on the exam table, trying to find a comfortable position. Her eyes were glossed over in a mixture of fear and pain. Bailey truly felt bad for the girl.

"Meredith, let's go ahead and move you to a room. You'll be more comfortable in a bed," she assured her.

If the uncharacteristic use of her first name confused Meredith, she didn't show it. She simply nodded her consent and awaited further instruction.

"I was able to contact Dr. Shepherd. He's on his way here," Bailey added suddenly.

"Thank God," Meredith whispered.

An orderly passed by the door with an empty stretcher and Bailey took the opportunity to wave him into the room. They made quick work of moving Meredith onto the gurney and transferred her to a private room on the surgical floor.

"Where is he coming from?" Bailey wondered.

"New York," Meredith supplied.

The older woman frowned at the response, "Is there anyone nearby I can call to come and sit with you in the meantime?"

Meredith shook her head, "Our family is in New York. The only people I know around here are my friends, but I really don't want them to see me like this."

Bailey nodded, trying to come up with someone to bring in so she wouldn't be alone, "What about Yang? I'll keep the rest out."

"Fine," Meredith sighed, "but just Cristina."

* * *

"What is going on?" Cristina demanded as she entered Meredith's room.

"I wish I knew," Meredith frowned.

"How bad is the pain?" Cristina inquired.

"Six, maybe," came Meredith's reply.

"Have they given you anything?" her friend demanded.

"No," Meredith winced as a new wave came, "the lab is backed up and I can't have pain meds until they confirm that I'm not pregnant."

Cristina raised an eyebrow, "Do _you_ think you're pregnant?"

Meredith shook her head, "I don't think so, but it's not impossible."

An understanding nod signaled Cristina's agreement with this course of action, "Has anyone contacted Derek?"

"He's on his way," Meredith answered.

Cristina nodded in approval, "Wow. Not many people would hop on a cross country flight for a undiagnosed illness."

"I'm sure he still feels guilty that he's a cross country flight away," she shrugged.

Her friend's eyes narrowed, "I get the feeling that he'd do it regardless. You probably would, too."

"Without hesitation," she confirmed.

"If I was someone who strived for a relationship above all else, I'd probably envy you," Cristina admitted.

"Are you going to gush over my relationship? Because I believe I requested Cristina's presence, not Izzie's. Has Hunt turned you to mush?" she quipped.

Cristina rolled her eyes dramatically, "Keep categorizing me with Barbie and I'll page all of them to your room."

"Consider it done," Meredith joked, throwing her hands up in mock surrender.

"And don't ever suggest I've gone soft," she added.

They laughed for a moment before Meredith turned to her friend, "Thank you for sitting with me. I know there are surgeries to steal and interns to torture."

"I wouldn't want to be alone in the hospital either," Cristina shrugged as she reached for the remote and started to flip through TV channels.

* * *

It had been three hours since her initial workup when Dr. Bailey reentered the hospital room with lab results, "Dr. Grey, you are not pregnant."

Meredith let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, "Good," she muttered, "do you know what's wrong?"

Dr. Bailey shook her head regretfully, "Unfortunately, we don't. We'll have to run some more tests, but I can order some pain killers for you if you think you need it."

"I'm not sure I need it," Meredith began only to be cut of by Cristina.

"She needs it."

"I'd be more comfortable with it," Meredith rolled her eyes.

Dr. Bailey nodded and made a quick exit to retrieve Meredith's medication.

"I wonder what sort of flight Derek ended up on. Cristina, could you get my phone out of my lab coat?" Meredith asked. She had long since changed into a hospital gown and her clothes were on a chair near the bathroom.

Cristina quickly got up to retrieve the gadget and handed it to Meredith who flipped it open with the intention of phoning his mother incase she knew of his travel itinerary. Instead, she was greeted with a text from Derek himself which contained his flight information.

She smiled as she read off his departure and estimated arrival times. He truly hadn't wasted anytime getting a flight, and it was awfully thoughtful of him to send her the details.

"He'll be here in two and a half or three hours," Meredith stated.

"Derek?" Cristina inquired.

"Derek," Meredith confirmed.

"Hopefully we'll know what's wrong with you long before then," Cristina stated just as Dr. Bailey returned to set up a morphine drip.

"Yang, as long as you're in here you may as well make yourself useful. I need you to monitor her and page me if there is cause for concern. I'm going to do my best to rush your second set of tests, but there isn't much I can control with the lab as backed up as it is. You're just going to have to hang in there Grey," Bailey stated.

"Thank you, Dr. Bailey," Meredith smiled as her boss exited the room once again.

* * *

Derek's flight landed exactly five hours after takeoff. He rushed from the cabin as soon as the doors opened and skipped the taxi line, jumping into the first available car in spite of the protests by his fellow travellers.

"Seattle Grace Hospital," he told the cab driver.

The trip to Grace only took a half hour, but it felt like an eternity. He approached the first available nurse's station to find out where Meredith was and, opting to take the stairs for faster arrival, quickly made his way to her room.

"Meredith," he gasped breathlessly as he entered the room, "Mer, are you okay?"

"Baby, you came!" Meredith giggled.

Derek raised an eyebrow, turning to the room's third occupant for explanation.

"Morphine," Cristina offered, "she's absolutely giddy."

Derek nodded, "Do they know what's wrong with her?"

"Dr. Bailey came in about an hour ago and told us it was appendicitis. Unfortunately, the ORs are backed up due to a small pileup on some freeway so it'll probably be another few hours," Cristina explained.

"Cristina!" Meredith giggled, causing the curly haired woman to redirect her attention, "That's Derek. Isn't he handsome?"

Cristina laughed, "Okay, Mer. As much as I've enjoyed your morphine adventure, Derek's here now. I'm going to go and see what I can do to help in the pit."

Meredith waved goodbye to Cristina like an excited child before turning to Derek, "What are you doing way over there? Come over here and take care of me!"

Derek made his way over to her and bent down to peck her lips lightly. He pulled the chair Cristina had vacated closer to the bed and took her hand, "I'm so sorry I couldn't be here sooner, Mer. I was so scared."

"Me too," she giggled.

"I'm so glad you're going to be okay," he breathed.

"Do you think I can keep my appendix in jar?" Meredith asked thoughtfully.

Derek laughed heartily at the question, "I'll be sure to ask for you."

"Thank you Der Bear. This is why you're my best boyfriend," she nodded resolutely.

"Oh," he chuckled, "so you have other boyfriends?"

"No, but if I did you'd be the best one," she assured him.

He bent forward and kissed her forehead, "And you're my best and only girlfriend. Why don't you try and get some sleep?" he suggested.

"Okay. Wake me up before the take my body parts," she commanded.

"I will, Mer," he promised. He helped her get comfortable in her bed, running his fingers through her hair as she fell into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

"You must be Dr. Shepherd," a woman's voice stated from behind Derek. He turned to face the doctor as she entered the room.

"Please, call me Derek," he smiled.

"Miranda Bailey," she held her hand out.

"Thank you for calling," he breathed, taking her hand and shaking it firmly.

Bailey eyed him up and down, taking in his appearance. He was still wearing scrubs and a lab coat and he looked positively exhausted, "I see you weren't kidding when you said you'd come straight here."

Derek shook his head, "I didn't want to waste anytime…especially since I didn't know what was wrong."

Dr. Bailey nodded in approval, "Have you been updated on her condition?"

"Yes," he assured her, "appendicitis. Any idea when an OR will be available? Cristina said there was some sort of pileup and it would be a while."

"Yang is right, but we'll definitely be operating this evening. All of the accident victims are finished with or currently undergoing surgery and she's our top priority afterwards," Bailey stated.

"Who will be performing the surgery?"

"I will."

"She'll be okay waiting, right? She's not at risk for rupture?" Derek asked.

The worry evident in his tone caused Bailey to soften, "We take good care of our own here. She'll be just fine."

"Thank you," Derek breathed. A small amount of tension left his frame, but Bailey figured the rest would remain until after Meredith's surgery.

* * *

It felt like an eternity to Derek before an intern came in to prep Meredith for surgery. In actuality, it had only been a few hours since his arrival.

"Hello," the nervous young man began, "I'm Dr. Holmes and I'll be taking prepping Dr. Grey for surgery."

"There's an OR available?" Derek asked, relieved.

"Yes, sir. Dr. Bailey said we'll be ready to operate within the hour," Holmes replied.

Derek nodded and turned back to the bed, placing a gentle hand on Meredith's shoulder. When she didn't stir, he bent down to whisper in her ear, "Mer...Mer, wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open and she offered him a weak smile, "Hey."

"Hey," he smiled back, "the doctor is here to prep you."

Meredith nodded slowly. Her eyes were cloudy and it was clear she was a little slow on the uptake, "For my appendix?"

"Yes," Derek confirmed.

She frowned deeply, "I'm scared."

Derek offered her what he hoped was a reassuring smile, "You have nothing to be afraid of. Dr. Bailey promised to take good care of you."

"You'll be here when it's over?" she questioned.

"I'll be right here when you wake up," he promised.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to step out now," Dr. Holmes cut in as he pulled on a pair of latex gloves.

Meredith sent the man the harshest glare Derek had ever seen, "He can stay."

The intern, Dr. Holmes, nodded in fear. He made quick work of prepping Meredith, and before they knew it she was being wheeled from the room.

"This is as far as you go, Dr. Shepherd," Bailey stated as she approached Meredith just outside of the doors that led to the ORs.

Derek leaned down and pecked Meredith's lips lightly, "I love you. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"I love you, too," Meredith smiled. She waved happily to him as she was pushed away. There was nothing left to do but wait.

* * *

Derek sat in the waiting room with his head in his hands. As a doctor, he knew that an appendectomy wasn't that serious. It was a short, low risk procedure with very little recovery time. As a man whose love was in surgery, however, he couldn't help but worry. There was always the possibility of something going wrong, and if it did, he wouldn't even have been there for her last healthy hours.

He shook his head quickly as if the motion would rid him of such dark thoughts. He was attempting to distract himself when suddenly…

"Derek Christopher Shepherd," a flustered, somewhat irritated voice called.

He cringed at the sound. He was definitely in trouble now.

Derek looked up to see his mother, Carolyn Shepherd, approaching his seat. Her expression was both worried and angry, but it softened when she took in the terror in her son's eyes.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" he asked, bewildered.

"I got a call from Mary. She said you'd phoned her in a panic demanding to know when the next available flight to Seattle was from any airport. She was very concerned and thought I should know. I then called your hospital and was told that you'd left in a rush and that your only explanation was that something was wrong with Meredith," she explained, taking the seat next to him.

Derek had the good sense to look ashamed for not calling his mother.

"If one of my children is sick, I need to be there for them, Derek. I had to rush to get on a flight to come out here and make sure you were both okay," she frowned.

"I'm sorry I didn't call, I was scared," Derek offered.

"Oh, never mind that. It's water under the bridge. Now, what's the matter with Mer?" she demanded.

"Appendicitis," Derek breathed, "they took her back about a half hour ago. She should be almost finished with surgery."

Carolyn frowned as she took in Derek's worried form, "Is that all?"

Derek nodded.

"Well thank goodness! As far as I knew she could have had something far more serious going on. Appendicitis we can deal with. She'll be just fine," she nodded.

"Mom," he sighed, "that's not the point."

"Then what is the point, son?" she asked.

"The point is I should have been there, because it could have been something more serious. She shouldn't have been alone and scared and in pain. She was without painkillers for hours because the lab was backed up and they had to confirm she wasn't pregnant. I should have been there for her through all of it," he voiced.

"Derek, look at me," Carolyn demanded. She waited for him to do so before she continued, "Meredith is going to be okay. That's all that matters. The rest is details. This is not the time for a self-pity party. You got on the plane and you got here. That's what you were supposed to do and you did it. End of story."

Derek sighed, nodding his head as she finished, "Thank you for coming."

Carolyn waved him off, "You know I view Meredith as one of my own children. I'd be here for any of you."

The two sat in comfortable silence for the remainder of the procedure. When Dr. Bailey came out to inform Derek that the surgery had been a success, he pulled her into an unexpected hug. Carolyn simply laughed and pulled him away, thanking the surgeon for her work before leading Derek back to Meredith's hospital room to wait for her to wake up.

* * *

Meredith groaned as she regained consciousness. Her whole body felt stiff and her throat was bone dry.

She slowly opened her eyes and was surprised to find herself in a hospital room. It took her a moment to remember she'd had surgery. Although there was a lot of morphine, she was fairly certain that Derek was supposed to be there. Or maybe he was on his way?

"Welcome back," a familiar voice chirped.

Meredith turned in the direction the voice had come from and smiled widely. Carolyn. She tried to speak, but her aching throat prevented any real words from forming.

"Here," Carolyn helped her move the bed into more of a sitting position and offered her a cup of water with a straw, "drink a little. Slow sips, Mer."

"Thank you," Meredith breathed afterwards.

"You're welcome," Carolyn smiled, "How are you feeling? Any pain?"

"Sore," Meredith winced.

Carolyn nodded, "I'll call the nurse and let her know you're awake."

Meredith offered her a grateful smile, "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but—"

"I sent Derek down to get something to eat. He was famished though he'd never admit it," Carolyn cut in. She smiled gently and reached out to squeeze Meredith's shoulder, "Just wait until I tell you what that foolish boy did to get to you."

Meredith rolled her eyes, "I'm sure it was completely over to top."

Carolyn chuckled, "I'm glad you're alright, dear. We were awfully worried."

"I'm sorry," Meredith sighed, "I can't believe you came all the way out here. You really didn't have to do that."

Carolyn clicked her tongue, "Meredith Elizabeth, you are one of my children. A mother goes where she is needed."

"I missed you," Meredith smiled.

"I missed you, too," Carolyn assured her, "but you should rest. We'll have plenty of time to catch up."

Meredith shook her head in spite of the fact that her lids were quite heavy, "I want to see Derek first."

"Just take a cat nap, Derek will be here when—" Carolyn began.

"Derek will be here when what?" he asked, suddenly and breathlessly appearing in the doorway.

"Hi," Meredith smiled.

"Hey," Derek beamed as he rushed across the room and carefully sat down on the bed, kissing her forehead.

"Did you eat?" Meredith asked.

Derek shrugged, "I picked at an apple for a while."

This caused Meredith to frown, "Der, you need to eat."

"I will later," he assured her, "How's your pain?"

"I'm sore but fine. Much better than this morning or yesterday or…what time even is it?" Meredith wondered.

"About 9 PM, dear. They took you back around 6," Carolyn supplied.

"Okay," Meredith nodded, reaching for Derek's hand, "do I need to wait for Dr. Bailey to come before I go back to sleep?"

Derek nodded, "She's waiting to check on you before she leaves for the night."

"Do you think you could go and find her?" Meredith requested, stifling a yawn.

"Of course," Derek promised with a squeeze of her hand, "I'll be right back."

Carolyn smiled as she watched her son exit the room in search of his girlfriend's surgeon. She'd always hoped to raise a good man, and when she saw him with Meredith she knew she was successful. Her happy thoughts were soon interrupted by a sudden realization, "Meredith, has anyone contacted your mother?"

"No," Meredith mumbled.

"You should at least call and let he know you had surgery," Carolyn scolded.

"It's fine, Carolyn. She wouldn't be interested in coming to check on me and I'm fine now. There's no need to bother her," Meredith reasoned nervously.

"What aren't you telling me, dear?" Carolyn demanded.

Meredith sighed. Carolyn was a super mom. She saw through everything.

"She doesn't know I moved to Seattle," Meredith whispered.

"Why not?" Carolyn inquired calmly.

"I didn't want another lecture on how I'm 'throwing my life away' for that boy," she shrugged.

Carolyn frowned at the idea, "I thought she'd come around to Derek."

"She actually likes him as a person," Meredith explained, "but she still doesn't think relationships are necessary."

"Well, I disagree. You two love and support each other regardless of what she thinks or says," Carolyn stated firmly.

Meredith smiled gratefully at the woman she'd come to see as her "fake mommy".

"However," Carolyn continued, "she is your mother and she needs to be informed about your little scare today."

"Can you do it after I go to sleep?" Meredith requested with full puppy dog eyes.

"Meredith, you're a grown woman. You can speak to your mother," Carolyn replied.

"I can, but I don't want to. Plus I almost died today," Meredith smirked.

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Carolyn exclaimed with a roll of her eyes.

"I'll call her in the morning," Meredith mumbled.

"That's all I ask," Carolyn nodded.

Derek returned with Dr. Bailey in tow a few moments later.

"How are we feeling Grey?" Bailey asked.

"I'm fine, Dr. Bailey. A little sore is all," Meredith answered.

Bailey nodded, "The surgery was successful. No complications. We're going to prescribe you something to keep you comfortable and help you sleep, but it won't be as strong as the morphine."

"Sounds good," Meredith smiled.

"Do any of you have any questions?" Bailey inquired. When no one spoke up she continued, "All right then. You have a good night, Grey. We'll see about getting your home tomorrow. Visiting hours end at 9:30 and only one of you can stay overnight."

Everyone in the room thanked Dr. Bailey and bid her farewell. A nurse followed shortly after to administer her medication. Once she was gone, Carolyn quickly collected her things, "I'm going to go and find a hotel for the night, but I'll be back first thing in the morning."

"No, we can't let you get a hotel," Meredith piped up, "Go stay at our place. There are beds in both of the spare rooms and I just did laundry so there are plenty of clean towels."

"Are you sure, dear?" Carolyn asked.

"Of course, Mom. You flew all the way out here, it's the least we can do," Derek assured her.

"Would you two stop with the travel card? You couldn't have stopped me from coming even if you wanted to," she affirmed.

"Sorry," Meredith and Derek said at the same time.

Carolyn kissed both of her children on the forehead before turning her attention back to Meredith, "Get some rest dear. I'm glad you're all right."

"Thank you, Carolyn," Meredith replied.

"There's nothing to thank me for. I love you both and when those we love need us, we come," she assured them.

"We love you, too," Meredith offered with a bright smile.

As soon as Carolyn left, Meredith turned to Derek who had claimed a seat beside her bed, "Come here."

"Mer, I can't. I don't want to hurt you," he frowned.

"Derek, it's one little incision. Come lay on the other side," she requested.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," he repeated.

"Der, please. I was so scared earlier, but do you know what made me feel better?" she began.

"What?" he whispered.

"Dr. Bailey told me you were coming, and from that moment on I knew it would be okay," she concluded.

Derek bit his lip, hesitant.

"I just need you to hold me. Please," she requested again.

He sighed, "Okay. But if I hurt you at all you have to tell me."

"Deal," she nodded.

Derek kicked off his shoes and slid into her hospital bed, wrapping his arm around her body and pulling her close so that she could rest her head on his chest. It wasn't as comfortable as their usual sleeping positions, but Meredith had to stay on her back to protect her incision. They talked quietly for a short while, recounting the day's events from each of their perspectives before Meredith yawned, her eyelids drooping.

"Get some sleep, Mer," Derek whispered.

"Okay," she mumbled.

"I love you so much," Derek confided.

"I love you. Thank you for being here," she replied, half asleep.

"Always," he assured her, planting a lingering kiss on her forehead.

Exhaustion weighed heavily on Derek's body. All of the day's anxiety had dissipated and he took a moment to count his blessings. He fell asleep soon after, a smile on his face. The next morning the nurses found them curled up together with Derek's arm wrapped protectively around the petite woman by his side. All was right in their world.

* * *

 **WEEK 4**

The following Wednesday, Meredith found herself sitting with Carolyn at a cute restaurant in Pike Place. They'd just finished lunch and were having a nice chat. After her surgery the previous Friday, the Chief had insisted she take the week off. Actually, he'd demanded it. Apparently hospital policy required all employees to take a minimum of one week paid leave following a surgical procedure. She wasn't expected to return to work until Saturday.

A very reluctant Derek had flown back to New York on Monday at his mother's insistence. She'd been assuring him that she would stay in Seattle and help take care of Meredith since the moment Dr. Bailey had announced she would be discharged on Saturday afternoon.

Meredith and Carolyn had worked together to get him on a plane. Success had come the moment Meredith pointed out that if he continued to miss work, he'd only have to makeup those hours later.

She still wasn't ready to sit in the car for an extended period of time on Monday, so she'd settled for a long kiss and a million promises to call before he left the house for the airport.

Today was her first adventure since her procedure. It was a rare sunny day in Seattle, and the women had decided to take advantage of the nice weather.

"So," Carolyn began, "any idea as to when you'll be receiving a ring?"

Meredith giggled. Ever since she'd finished medical school, Carolyn had been subtly dropping hints about marriage anytime they were alone together. She suspected Derek was receiving the same treatment, but she couldn't be sure.

"We always knew it wouldn't be until after I graduated, but now we're dealing with life on separate coasts. I don't have a real timeline," Meredith shrugged.

Carolyn sighed dramatically, "I just love seeing my children on their wedding day. I've been looking forward to yours for years now."

"When the time is right it'll happen," Meredith assured her.

"Very well, dear. Would you like to shop around a bit before we head home?" she asked.

"That sounds nice," Meredith nodded, following her out into the market place.

The rest of the week consisted of lounging around the house intermixed with short outings with Carolyn. Meredith had always been fond of Derek's mother, and they'd been close for quite some time, but Meredith felt they'd become far closer during Carolyn's stay in Seattle.

As she hugged Carolyn goodbye at the airport on Friday afternoon, Meredith made a mental note to thank Derek. He'd brought her into his family years ago, a fact she thought about each and everyday. She'd never been ungrateful in the least, but after this week, she appreciated their family more than ever.


	8. Chapter 7 (Month 3)

**Hey everybody! Sorry for my disappearance, but I had finals to take and education comes before fic. That being said, this chapter, like the last one, wasn't edited much so please forgive any mistakes. The next chapter is halfway written and will likely be posted tomorrow or Saturday. I hope you enjoy this one!**

 **P.S. I tried to reply to everyone's feedback, but I apologize if I missed you. To the sweet guest reviewers: thank you so much for taking the time to review this story. I truly appreciate all the kind things you've said and I'm glad you're enjoying my littles story. If anyone has any questions/suggestions feel free to let me know!**

* * *

 **WEEK 1**

"Grey," Dr. Bailey summoned the younger doctor.

"What can I do for you today, Dr. Bailey?" Meredith asked, looking up from the chart she was writing in.

"Are you scrubbing in on anything this morning?" Bailey inquired.

"No, I'm on plastics today. I was supposed to scrub in on a face lift, but the patient decided not to have it," Meredith explained.

"Good, I need a junior resident and I'm not in the mood for screw ups. You'll be with me today," Bailey stated, handing a chart across the counter.

Meredith took a few minutes to look over the chart before looking up to meet her boss's eyes, "You'll be using the Grey Method?"

Bailey nodded, "I assume you're familiar with it?"

"I've been watching it since I was a kid," Meredith confirmed.

"Good. It's a rather complicated surgery, and I don't want to have to walk anyone through the whole thing," Bailey explained.

Meredith nodded slowly. She wasn't sure she liked where this was going.

"Grey," Bailey sighed, "I'd have chosen you for this even if she wasn't your mother. You're very capable and I enjoy having you in my OR."

"How did you?" Meredith asked, eyes wide.

"I'm Dr. Bailey, I know everything," Bailey shrugged.

"Thank you," Meredith smiled.

"No problem," Bailey assured, "go prep the patient. Room 3261."

Meredith nodded and went on her way. This day was looking up.

* * *

Several hours later, Meredith found herself in the cafeteria looking for a late lunch. Her surgery had been a huge success, and Dr. Bailey had even let her do a heavy amount of assisting throughout the operation.

She spotted Cristina and Izzie across the room. They'd both been in the gallery during the surgery. Apparently, the Grey Method wasn't regularly performed at Seattle Grace.

Meredith took a seat with her friends. Cristina offered her a nod while Izzie appeared to be stewing over something.

"Hey," Meredith offered.

"Way to kick ass in that surgery this morning," Cristina nodded.

Meredith smiled, "Thanks. I appreciate it."

Izzie rolled her eyes and grunted.

"Everything okay, Iz?" Meredith inquired, taking a large bite from her sandwich.

"Fine. What could possibly be wrong with me?" Izzie responded.

"We don't know. It could be literally anything," Cristina quipped.

"Maybe it's the fact that I spent most of last night and a portion of this morning attempting to get in on Dr. Bailey's surgery, but she refused me more than once. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that she chose Meredith GREY to perform her mommy's signature surgery," Izzie stated, angrily stabbing her salad.

"Excuse me?" Meredith demanded, getting angry.

"You heard me," Izzie continued, "as if you need more advantages around here."

"Did you ever think that maybe I was chosen because I know and understand the procedure better than you do?" Meredith asked.

"That's the point. I'll never get the chance to learn. Because I didn't get to grow up watching surgery," Izzie said.

"I'm not going to do this," Meredith stated, standing up, "if you decide you want to discuss this maturely at some point, let me know."

Cristina watched Meredith throw away the remainder of her lunch and exit the cafeteria before turning to Izzie, "What the hell was that?"

"Don't act like you weren't thinking it," Izzie grumbled.

"I wasn't," Cristina stated, "that was way out of line."

"How so?" Izzie demanded.

"You know what, at some point you're going to have to grow up and accept the fact that she's a better surgeon than you are. People can bitch and moan about her getting here because of her name all they want, but you saw her in that OR. You know that's not what it's about," Cristina concluded, getting up and leaving Izzie alone and shocked in the cafeteria.

* * *

"It's professional jealousy," Derek assured Meredith over the phone.

Upon leaving the cafeteria, Meredith immediately sought out an empty on call room for some peace to gather her thoughts.

"Well, she didn't have to make it personal," Meredith mumbled.

"I agree," he said.

"This is ridiculous. Is she honestly going to be angry at me for performing a successful surgery?" Meredith asked.

She wasn't feeling truly hurt by Izzie's words. She wasn't even particularly angry at her, but she was immensely frustrated by the idea of people thinking she'd gotten there on her mother's name even after Dr. Bailey had sworn to her that was untrue.

"Derek, I just don't know what else I can do. Maybe I should just accept that I'll never fully escape my mother," she sighed.

"You already have escaped, Mer. I guarantee everyone at that hospital has an immense amount of respect for your skill and talent just like everyone at this one," Derek assured her.

"I can't wait until the day I get to specialize and do nothing but neuro. Then no one will bother with comparisons," Meredith breathed out.

"Hang in there, Mer," he smiled.

"I will," she assured him.

"I'm proud of you," he offered.

"Thanks, Der," she smiled.

"Look, I just got paged so I have to go. I'll call you later, Mer. Good luck with Izzie," he spoke quickly.

"Thanks, good luck with that page," she offered.

"Love you."

"Love you, too."

Meredith sighed. She felt refreshed after her conversation with Derek. Jealousy be damned. She wasn't going to let anything bring her down.

* * *

 **WEEK 2**

Meredith and Cristina were sitting at Joe's the following week when Izzie approached. She hadn't spoken to either of them since her little episode in the cafeteria, so both women were surprised to see her.

"Hey guys," she began nervously, "I grabbed a table over in the corner. George and Alex are meeting me here if you'd like to join us.

Meredith and Cristina glanced at each other. An understanding passed between the two of them. They'd both come out for one drink. They were going to stick to that plan.

"We were actually just about to head out," Meredith explained, "we both have an early shift and we weren't planning on staying for more than one round."

Izzie nodded, her expression crestfallen, "Oh, okay."

"Maybe another night this week," Meredith smiled slightly as she and Cristina donned their coats and headed for the exit.

"Are we still mad at her?" Cristina inquired as they were walking back to their cars in the hospital parking lot.

"Not mad. Definitely a little weary, though," Meredith shrugged.

"Damn, I was hoping we'd just cut her off completely. She's so damn annoying sometimes," Cristina half joked.

Meredith laughed at her friend's antics, "Maybe next time."

Cristina snorted, "Pretty sad that there will even BE next time."

* * *

A few days later Derek sighed and rolled over once again, coming to a stop on his back and staring at the ceiling. Meredith was on call that night and their nightly conversation had been cut short by an emergent page. She promised she'd call him back if she could, but soon after they hung up he received a text saying it was surgical and she'd be awhile.

Nights were the toughest part of this for him. Derek had been plagued with sleeping problems since he was a teenager, but they had improved immensely since he'd met Meredith. Having her near was soothing, and on the rare occasion that he still had trouble getting to sleep, she knew just how to soothe him.

 _Derek took a deep breath and started to count backwards from 100. Meredith lay next to him, snoring softly. He smiled at the sight. Usually that alone was enough to coax him into a peaceful slumber, but tonight that wasn't the case._

 _He ran his fingers through her hair gently. Unfortunately, his pointer finger got caught towards the ends of her golden locks, and her eyes fluttered open._

 _"Der?" she questioned groggily._

 _"Sorry," he whispered, "go back to sleep."_

 _She rolled over and snuggled up against his chest, kissing his clavicle softly before lifting her head to speak to him, "Why are you up?"_

 _He shrugged, "I couldn't sleep."_

 _"Why not?" she asked._

 _"It's just a thing I have. I struggle to fall asleep sometimes. It's not as big a problem now as it once was," he assured her._

 _"You know, when I was a kid and my mom would leave me with nannies over night, sometimes I'd have trouble going to sleep, too," she explained, running a gentle hand through his curls, "but do you know what helped?"_

 _"What's that?" he asked._

 _"I used to sing myself to sleep," Meredith smiled._

 _He chuckled, "There's nothing soothing about my singing voice, Mer."_

 _"Do you want me to sing to you then?" she offered._

 _"If you think it'll help, be my guest," he agreed._

 _Meredith laid her head against his chest again, listening to him breathe. She waited a moment before she began to sing to him softly, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you, so please don't take my sunshine away."_

 _As her soft voice rose and fell melodically with the rhythm of the song, Derek felt himself relaxing. She may be onto something with this._

 _"You are my sunshine," she began again. Derek was sure he heard her make it through the song twice. It was in the middle of third go round that Meredith felt the change in his breathing. He was asleep. She smiled, turning her head to kiss his chest once more before letting his heartbeat soothe her back to sleep as well._

Derek smiled at the memory and began to hum softly to himself. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine she was there, singing softly to him. They were happy thoughts.

* * *

 **WEEK 3**

Cristina sighed in relief when she found Meredith lying on a gurney in the tunnels. She'd checked all of their other usual hangout places before arriving at this one.

"Finally! I've been looking for you for like half an hour," the curly haired surgeon announced, taking a seat on the gurney across from Meredith's.

"I've been here," Meredith mumbled.

"I can see that," Cristina retorted, raising an eyebrow at her friend. Meredith hadn't even bothered to look at her.

"Did you need something?" Meredith asked, her tone flat and emotionless.

"Not really. We haven't caught up in a few days, I figured we could have a more interesting conversation than Evil Spawn and Bambi are capable of," Cristina explained.

"I'm not sure I'm in the mood to chat," Meredith grumbled.

"Are you okay?" Cristina inquired.

Meredith turned her head and met her friend's eyes for the first time. Her own usually bright and passionate eyes were dull and lifeless, "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Cristina insisted.

"I'm just disappointed. I'll get over it," Meredith assured her.

"About…?" Cristina pushed.

Meredith sighed. She should've known this was coming, "I don't want to talk about it because I don't want to hear you insist that it doesn't matter and that work is better anyway."

Cristina furrowed her brow at the statement. This was not the Meredith she was used to, "Mer, just tell me."

"It's not important. I just haven't had much time to talk to Derek this week. And when we finally managed to find the time, he informed me that he's sorry but he can't make it this weekend," Meredith divulged, "so then I tried to look up flights to New York to visit him, but then Bailey asked me to take call on Friday night. So no Derek for me."

"Well, you did get to see him twice last month," Cristina offered.

"Yeah," Meredith snorted, "and the second time I was having surgery. He had to leave before I was cleared to do anything but rest. We haven't been able to spend real time together since the beginning of August, and it's almost October."

"Is this like a sex thing? Are you angry because you're horny?" Cristina asked, half joking.

"I told you you'd make light. This is why I didn't want to talk about it. You just don't get it," Meredith stated angrily, getting off the gurney and moving down the hall.

"Meredith, wait!" her friend called, but it was no use. Meredith ignored her and kept moving.

Cristina frowned. She was worried. With a sigh she decided it'd be best to work now and worry later.

* * *

Meredith's shift was almost over the next time her friend approached. She sighed. She'd been expecting this.

"You're off at six?" Cristina inquired.

Meredith nodded her confirmation.

"Do you want to go to Joe's? We could get drunk and blow off steam," Cristina offered.

"I'm not really in the mood," Meredith shrugged, "I think I'll just go home. I want to talk to Derek for awhile."

Cristina nodded slowly, "Mer, are you sure you're okay?"

She slammed her chart shut, "No, okay?!"

With that, she stormed away from the nurse's station, leaving Cristina standing there, her jaw practically on the ground.

* * *

Less than an hour later, Meredith was on her couch with a bottle of tequila. She pulled a blanket around her shoulders and took several long pulls from the bottle in her hand.

By the time her phone started ringing, she was well on her way to drunkenness.

"Hey, Derek," she grumbled into the phone.

"Hey," he frowned slightly at the tone of her voice, "are you okay?"

"Course not," she muttered, "you can't come see me so I was gonna go see you but now I have to take a night of call this weekend. So instead of being happy that my man lover is coming, I'm drinking alone in the house you don't live in yet."

"Man lover?" Derek questioned.

"That's you," she offered flatly.

Derek sighed, guilt overtaking ever cell in his body. She was drinking. Alone. Across the country, "I'm sorry. I'll be there next week, I promise."

"I'll be here. Maybe with my tequila. Maybe not. Who's to say?" she offered, taking another sip from her bottle.

"I miss you," Derek stated.

"I know. I miss you, too. Although sometimes I wish I didn't have to. Because Seattle is dandy, but New York was fine, too. Also I think I'm just really horny lately," she nodded to herself.

Derek fought back a laugh, "Well, that can happen after awhile."

"You're telling me," she snorted.

Derek sighed, trying to think of a way to distract her. He had a sinking feeling that she was going to remind him of his request for phone sex a few weeks ago, but it wasn't something he was interested in doing while she was lonely and drinking.

"Remember that time we were thrown out of the movie theater?" he reminded her with a smile.

Meredith laughed, "How on Earth could I forget that?"

 _Meredith giggled as Derek dragged her through the front doors of the large theater. He ushered her to the concession stand and proceeded to order them a large popcorn and a large soda to split._

 _"How am I doing so far?" he inquired._

 _"Good, I guess," she smiled._

 _"You guess?" he asked, feigning offense._

 _"How would I know? That's the whole point of this," she pointed out._

 _Derek chuckled, "I guess you've got me there."_

 _Meredith grinned widely at him. The idea had come to Derek when they were curled up on his couch watching a movie one evening. Upon her admission that she hadn't dated much in high school and she wondered what teenage relationships were like, Derek insisted that he could show her. It would only take an evening. Thinking he was joking, Meredith readily agreed to the plan. He wasn't joking._

 _He'd picked her up at her small apartment on NYU's campus. He arrived with a cheap bouquet and joked to her roommate about returning her by curfew. Afterwards, they'd gone to a pizza parlor and he'd ordered them each two slices of pizza and one drink. Derek insisted on making it a 'real teenage experience' and explained that when he was a teenager, he usually couldn't afford more than that for his dates._

 _Once dinner was over, they'd walked to the movie theater. Derek had continued to play his part, bumping her hand a few times before taking it in his as they walked._

 _Now they were seeing some goofy rom-com. The whole thing was completely cheesy, and Meredith completely loved it. As soon as the lights went down and the movie began, Derek awkwardly placed his arm around her. When she leaned into him, he relaxed and she giggled again. The man stuck to his guns. That was for sure._

 _About twenty minutes into the movie, he made his next move. He gently tapped her chin, turning her face toward him. Meredith was surprised when his lips came down on hers, but she went with it. The theater was relatively empty. There were only a few groups of people throughout the room._

 _Their little make-out session became more heated, and Meredith soon found herself in Derek's lap._

 _That's when the beam of the flashlight interrupted their moment. Both froze and turned to face the young boy—maybe sixteen-in the maroon vest that all movie theater employees were required to wear._

 _"Um, I'm sorry about this," the boy began, "some people complained about teenagers who were all over each other in this movie."_

 _"Not teenagers," Derek whispered. Meredith, meanwhile, was hiding her face in Derek's neck, trying to hold back her laughter._

 _"I see that…but I still have to ask you to leave. It's theater policy," the boy shrugged awkwardly._

 _"No problem," Derek chuckled. He took their popcorn and Meredith's hand and led them out of the theater and back onto the streets of New York City._

 _As soon as they were outside, both Meredith and Derek burst out laughing._

 _"So that's what teenagers do?" Meredith giggled._

 _Derek shrugged, "I'm not totally sure. Maybe not anymore, but when we were teenagers that's what went on."_

 _"I guess I didn't miss much, then," she smiled._

 _"No," he laughed, "I guess not."_

 _"I still appreciate you doing this. It was a fun night," Meredith offered, squeezing his hand._

 _Derek stopped and turned to wrap his arms around her waist, "It was," he agreed, "but we did miss one important part of the evening."_

 _"What's that?" she raised an eyebrow, wrapping her arms around his neck and playing with the wild curl at the nape of it._

 _"I don't have a car to try and feel you up in," he smirked._

 _"You could try to feel me up in your apartment," she whispered saucily._

 _"I think I might do more than that," he replied, pulling her into a passionate kiss in the middle of the sidewalk._

 _"Please do," she smiled, panting after they pulled apart. Derek took her hand and rushed in the direction of his apartment, Meredith giggling all the way. These were the moments she loved him most._

Meredith yawned as they finished recounting the incident. She slowly dragged herself up to bed, slipping into one of Derek's old t-shirts and sliding under the covers, "You'll feel me up next week?" she murmured, already dosing.

"I'll feel you up anytime you want," Derek replied.

"You're dirty," she mumbled.

"I'm absolutely certain that you started it this time," Derek defended himself.

"Still. Goodnight, Der," she yawned again.

"Goodnight, Mer. Love you," he smiled.

"Love you, too," she assured him. Both parties were asleep in moments.

* * *

 **WEEK 4**

Derek smirked as he watched Meredith walk across the lobby of Seattle Grace. She had a bounce in her step. He knew she was expecting him to be waiting for her back home, but he couldn't help wanting to see her sooner—even if it was less than 30 minutes sooner—so he'd had his cab driver drop him off at the hospital.

When she failed to notice him sitting in the waiting area, he snuck up behind her just before she could exit through the sliding glass double doors. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and smiled as he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Excuse me doctor, could I get a consult?"

Meredith spun around, her expression both surprised and ecstatic, "What are you doing here?"

She threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. He returned the gesture, kissing her forehead softly, "I couldn't stand to wait at home. I wanted to see as much of you as humanly possible."

"I'm glad," she smiled at him once more before pulling him into a passionate kiss.

Derek pulled away moments later, gasping for breath, "God, I missed that."

Meredith giggled freely, "Well, if you want something more you'll have to buy me dinner first."

"I think I can manage that," he chuckled, taking her hand in his.

They walked together out to the car and made their way to the quaint little Italian restaurant they'd discovered during their first weeks in Seattle. Dinner was uneventful. They spent their time joking with each other and catching up on things.

After dinner, however, Meredith frowned upon realizing that Derek was taking a strange route home.

"Der," she began, "have you forgotten where you're going?"

"No," he chuckled, "I have a surprise for you."

Meredith smiled and sat back in her seat. She knew better than to ask what it was. In all their years together, he'd never once given up a surprise to her beforehand.

Derek drove them to the Archfield. He navigated the car into the valet area and passed over the keys before leading Meredith into the large, extravagant lobby.

"Der," she breathed, "are we staying here?"

"You deserve a nice night out," he shrugged.

Derek quickly got them checked in and led her to the elevator where Meredith surprised him by pushing him up against the back wall and kissing him hard.

Derek groaned, this had to be the slowest elevator on the planet.

They finally reached their floor and Derek scooped Meredith up, throwing her over his shoulder while she giggled wildly. He carried her down the hall, opened the door to their room, and dropped her onto the king sized bed, crawling over her.

His breath caught in his throat when she smiled up at him. Her hair was fanned out over the pillows, her eyes glowing with happiness.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"It's…you get more gorgeous everyday, Mer," he whispered, his tone awe-struck.

She blushed slightly, looking down at the bed. He turned her face so that she was looking at him once again, "Don't be embarrassed. You're perfect."

"I am not," she argued.

"To me you are," he assured her.

"I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that," she admitted.

"Doesn't matter. I'll never get tired of reminding you," he smiled.

Meredith bit her lip gently, "I love you."

"And I love you…more and more everyday."

With that he leaned down to kiss her. They spent the rest of the evening curled up together, whispering secrets and fears and sharing jokes between glasses of champagne and rounds of love making. In spite of her loneliness the previous week, Meredith felt this was truly worth the wait.


	9. Chapter 8 (Month 4)

**Yay, another update! Hope you all enjoy it and please review :)**

* * *

 **WEEK 1**

"Hello?" Meredith answered her phone with a sigh as she collapsed into bed. It had been the longest shift of her career thus far. She had been on the clock for 48 hours and, in that time, had only slept for 45 minutes. It hadn't helped that her shift started at 6 PM rather than 6 AM and that she hadn't been able to get much extra sleep during the day before her shift started. At least she had a day off tomorrow. It would be nice to rest for 36 hours rather than 12 for once.

"Hey," Derek grinned, "I take it you had a long shift?"

"Yeah," Meredith confirmed tiredly, "how'd you guess?"

"I haven't heard from you since it started," he reasoned.

"Sorry," Meredith offered, realizing he was right.

"It's nothing to apologize for, Mer. We're surgeons. We get busy," he assured her.

"I was in surgery for the majority of it. The ER was packed and surgical cases were just pouring in. I only had about 45 minutes to sleep," she explained.

"Did you get in on any cool cases?" he asked.

"I did, actually," she smiled widely in spite of the fact that he couldn't see her, "This guy who fell down the stairs and accidentally shot himself in the head with a nail gun came in. I got to scrub in on the nail extraction surgery AND the tumor resection."

"That sounds amazing," he breathed.

"It was. I wish you had been there to see it," she sighed.

"I can't wait to work with you again," Derek stated.

Although Meredith had only been an intern when they were working together, it was a widely held opinion throughout Mt. Sinai that she and Derek were a dream team. They'd worked together to solve difficult cases and they'd never butted heads in the OR. Many of their fellow doctors were envious of their professional relationship.

"Neither can I," she agreed.

"So…" Derek began awkwardly.

Meredith raised an eyebrow at his strange tone, "So…?"

Derek cleared his throat, "What are you wearing?"

Meredith laughed wildly when she realized what he was doing, "Derek," she gasped, trying to contain herself.

He chuckled awkwardly in response, "I thought we might…you know."

Her laughs were more controlled when she responded, "You cannot be serious."

"Come on, Mer. It might be fun," he persuaded.

"I…I would, but…"

"But what?" he prompted.

"But now I'm thinking about it. And if I'm thinking about what we're actually doing, I probably can't do it."

"It's just phone sex. I'm sure lots of people do it."

"Yes, but Derek, I need you to think about this my way for a second. When I touch myself, you think it's hot. But if I'm laying here picturing you doing that, it honestly just makes me a little sad."

"I just miss you is all," Derek sighed.

"I miss you, too," Meredith smiled, "maybe we can try another day…when I'm not so tired."

He chuckled, "We don't have to. It was just a thought."

"I love you for trying to keep it interesting," she giggled.

Just then the doorbell rang. Meredith frowned, Cristina was working and she didn't usually hang out with the others unless everyone was there.

"Hang on a second, Der. Someone's here," she explained as she made her way down the stairs.

"Do you need to call me back?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, just wait a second," her jaw dropped as soon as she saw the individual on the other side of the door.

"Hello, Meredith," Ellis Grey offered with an insincere smile.

"Der," she mumbled, "I have to go…my mother is here."

Meredith hung up without waiting for his reply, giving her full attention to her mother, "Hi mom."

"Are you going to let me in?" Ellis demanded.

"Right," Meredith nodded, moving out of the doorway so that her mother could enter, "Do you want something to drink?"

"No thank you," Ellis replied, sitting down in the living room.

Meredith followed suit, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You had surgery, I thought it might be best to check up on you," Ellis explained.

"Mom, I had my appendix out over a month ago. It hardly calls for a cross country trip," Meredith retorted.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," Ellis rolled her eyes.

"A simple phone call wouldn't suffice?"

"Honestly Meredith," Ellis sighed dramatically, "I thought we were passed this."

Meredith sighed as well. They'd worked through a lot of their problems over the last few years and their relationship was leaps and bounds better than it had been when Meredith was a teenager, but they still weren't exactly close.

"I'm just surprised is all. Plus I'm tired," Meredith offered.

"Well, residency is tiring. How's Seattle Grace?" Ellis asked.

"It's nice enough. Sometimes I miss New York, though," she sighed.

"Sinai was an excellent program, but you'll be just fine at Grace," Ellis assured.

"I know that. It'll be better once Derek gets here."

Ellis rolled her eyes, "And when does Derek get here?"

"Not until the new year," Meredith frowned.

"So he'll be completing his fellowship early?" she inquired.

"Yes, that's why I'm already here," Meredith explained.

"That's rather impressive. He'll be successful in his field," Ellis offered.

"He will," Meredith agreed.

"But as an attending he'll also have more free time than you do. You mustn't let him distract you from your career," Ellis stated firmly.

"Mom, how many times do we have to go over this? Derek is not a distraction. He never has been and he never will be," Meredith responded fiercely.

"I just don't want you to fall behind," her mother argued.

"When have I ever been behind in anything?!" Meredith demanded.

"Meredith, calm down. I did not come here to fight with you," Ellis groaned.

"Could you just tell me why you're so set against my relationship with Derek? You like him, you respect him, it's been seven years. When are you going to get over this thing you have going?" Meredith asked, head in her hands.

"Meredith, I believe you can be extraordinary on your own. I like Derek, yes, but I want you to realize that you don't NEED him around," she explained.

Meredith looked up and into her mother's eyes, "But I want him around. Always," she whispered. In truth, Meredith was fairly certain she did need him, but she knew better than to say such a thing to her mother.

Ellis nodded, "Okay then. I'll back off."

"Really?" Meredith asked, skepticism heavy in her voice.

"Really," Ellis assured.

Meredith smiled sincerely, "Thank you."

"Are you at least going to marry the man, or do you just plan to string each other along forever?" the older woman wondered.

Meredith's expression softened at the thought, "I'm going to marry him. Soon I hope."

"If that's the case, I'd at least like an invitation to the wedding instead of a call two months later as with your move to Seattle," Ellis scolded with a smile.

"I think I can manage that," Meredith smiled.

"Now, we have business to discuss," Ellis began, her expression becoming far more serious than previously.

"What's that?" Meredith prompted with a sigh. Of course there was business. Heaven forbid her mother come out just to visit with her.

"I've been offered a position as Head of General Surgery at Seattle Grace. I realize it may be uncomfortable working together, but you deserve every opportunity to learn from the best, and I am the best," Ellis nodded, "but nonetheless I wanted to ask your opinion before I made any decisions."

Meredith's heart dropped, "Um…whatever you want is fine," she mumbled.

"But would you be willing to work together?" Ellis inquired.

"If you're not happy at Mayo anymore then you should leave," Meredith continued to dance around the question.

Ellis sighed, closing her eyes, "Meredith, I know we aren't close. I know we don't often discuss personal matters, and that's fine. But just this once I need to know what you're actually thinking. I want to do what's best for you."

"I…Mom, I'm tired. Just let me sleep on it and I'll talk to you tomorrow," Meredith choked out.

Ellis nodded, "Fair enough. I'll stop by and see you tomorrow, then."

"Do you need a place to stay?" Meredith asked halfheartedly.

"No, I have arrangements already. I'll see you tomorrow, Meredith," Ellis responded, already halfway to the door.

Meredith sighed as soon as the door closed behind her mother. How on Earth was she going to work this out?

She dragged herself upstairs and took a quick shower before crawling under the covers and calling Derek back. They spoke for a long time, but afterwards she found herself wishing more than usual that he was there with her. She wanted him to hold her, and kiss her head, and whisper soothing things to her until she fell asleep. But instead, she had to settle for listening to his metallic breathing through her phone's speaker.

* * *

The next evening, as promised, Ellis returned to seek an answer to her question. They sat in the living room again, taking each other in.

"Well?" Ellis prompted.

Meredith stared at her mother for a long time, biting her lip hesitantly. She could hear Derek's voice in her head telling her to speak from the heart. To tell the truth. To say exactly what she said to him, "I've worked really hard, you know."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ellis demanded.

"I worked so hard to get to where I am. And every step of the way I've put in extra work to prove that I didn't get there because of my mother. I've been fighting my way out of your shadow since I started med school, and I'm not sure I'd be okay with your actual shadow being there for me to stand in," Meredith spit out quickly.

Ellis looked utterly shocked at her admission, "I didn't realize you felt that way."

"How could I not?" Meredith wondered.

Ellis took a moment to consider her daughter's words before responding, "I didn't realize this was a serious problem for you. I always assumed once people met you they would understand your capabilities."

"Well, it's not that simple. It takes a long time to get passed my last name. I was ranked first among the interns at Sinai after my exam," Meredith admitted, "and that's not something that just happens. I'm not there to hear it, but I know what people are thinking. They think it's somehow because of you, and they always will. I know it's jealousy, but I wish they'd be jealous of ME. Of my skills. Not of my mother."

"I'm sorry you have to deal with that, Meredith. But anything worth having is worth fighting for," her mother nodded.

"That being said," Meredith continued, "if you want to come out here, I won't stop you. I'll work my ass off and I'll prove myself regardless."

"You're not going to let anything stop you, are you?" Ellis practically whispered.

"No," Meredith stated definitively.

"I'm proud of you, Meredith," Ellis admitted.

Meredith gasped at the admission. Ellis had given the impression that maybe she was proud ever since Meredith's second year of medical school, but Meredith chalked it up to an unrealistic sense of optimism. Apparently, it was more than that. This was a moment Meredith had been waiting for all her life, but she never believed it would actually happen.

"It's good to see you standing your ground about things whether they're personal or professional," Ellis added.

"Thank you. That means a lot coming from you," Meredith smiled weakly.

"I'm not going to accept the job at this time. You deserve to thrive, and I won't hold you back. No sudden movements. Perhaps we can reevaluate the idea later in your residency or during your fellowship," Ellis offered.

"I'd appreciate that," Meredith nodded.

"Thank you for being honest about your concerns, Meredith."

"Thank you for taking them seriously."

The Grey women shared a look of understanding. Something within Meredith felt freer knowing that her mother was proud and that she'd obviously earned the older woman's respect.

"Would you like to go and get dinner?" Ellis offered.

"Yeah," Meredith smiled, "I would."

* * *

 **WEEK 2**

 _Derek meandered into the apartment, a somber look on his face. As a second year resident, he was being given more responsibilities in surgery. Unfortunately, that wasn't always a good thing._

 _Meredith appeared from the short hallway leading to their bedroom only seconds after the front door closed, "Hey!" she called happily._

 _Once she caught sight of Derek, however, her demeanor fell, "What's wrong?"_

 _"My patient," Derek mumbled, "he just…uh…" he cut himself off with a shrug._

 _Meredith moved over to him and quickly wrapped him in her arms. He immediately returned the hug, burying his face in the crook of her neck._

 _"Come on," she commanded, guiding him to the couch. She sat down and directed him to get comfortable, pulling his head up to rest on her chest. She then began to rub his back in a soothing motion, prompting him to release the tension he'd been holding onto for hours._

 _Derek tried to hold everything in. He really tried, but this was Meredith, and even though he never allowed others to see him in a vulnerable state, he couldn't hold back on this particular occasion. And why should he? He knew that he was safe from judgment and that Meredith would likely offer him nothing more than love and support._

 _That's when the crying started. He choked on a sob and let his tears soak through her grey t-shirt._

 _Meredith stopped rubbing his back and wrapped her arm around her tightly. She used her free hand to weave her fingers through his hair, "It's okay, just let it out. I'm here," she whispered._

 _Derek clung to her like she was his only life line, and in that moment, she probably was._

 _"I'm sorry," he choked out between sobs._

 _"Don't be sorry, Der. It's just me," she offered, kissing his head._

 _They remained in this position for ten or fifteen minutes. Derek's tears slowed while Meredith continued to whisper soothing things to him._

 _"Do you want to tell me what's wrong now?" Meredith asked gently once Derek was calmer._

 _"My patient…I opened him up to clip an aneurysm and it burst before we were able to start the surgery. It burst right in front of us. I wasn't the lead surgeon, but I was going to do most of the surgery. The thing was huge. And I didn't save him. He was a 19 year old kid and his life is over because of me," he whispered._

 _Meredith felt tears coming to her own eyes at his broken tone, "Derek that isn't true. There was nothing you could've done."_

 _"How do you know that?" he questioned, dejected._

 _"Derek, you're a second year. You were not alone in that OR. If there was something that could have been done, the attending would have done it. These things happen sometimes," she assured him._

 _"Mer, I don't think I'm cut out for this," he admitted quietly._

 _"Look at me," she demanded, pulling his head up and forcing him to look into her eyes, "you can't save everyone. I know you want to, but you just can't. And it hurts, but you'll get through it. Derek, if you weren't cut out to be a surgeon you would not be the best in your year. You would not be given the privilege of performing the majority of an aneurysm surgery. You would not even be in the program that you're in. You're an amazing surgeon. You can't let these things push you towards giving up."_

 _Derek gasped at the look of determination in her eyes, "How do you have so much faith in me?"_

 _"Because I know you, Derek Christopher. And you're going to excel in this field, so please do not give up on yourself," she breathed._

 _"Thank you," he smiled weakly._

 _"Don't thank me, just listen," she smiled back._

 _"I couldn't do this without you," he murmured._

 _"You could. You just don't have to," she assured him._

 _"I know," he nodded, "and I know we were supposed to go to Mom's for dinner, but I'm not sure I'm up for it."_

 _"I already called and cancelled," Meredith stated._

 _"How did you…?" he wondered._

 _"You sounded off on the phone earlier. I assumed and she understood," she grinned._

 _"I love you, Meredith."_

 _"I love you, too," she replied with a gentle peck on his lips._

 _"Now get up," Meredith demanded suddenly, pulling him from the couch._

 _"What?" Derek wondered._

 _"I know what'll make you feel better," she insisted, making quick work of turning on the stereo and selecting an upbeat song._

 _"Mer," Derek sighed._

 _"Dance it out, Der," she nodded._

 _"You know I don't dance," he tried._

 _"I know you don't dance with anyone except me," she corrected, dancing around him._

 _Derek couldn't shake the smile from his face as he watched her move along to the music._

 _"You know you want to," she smiled, offering him a hand._

 _He sighed and took her hand, allowing himself to let loose and try to forget his awful day. Meredith was right. Sometimes you just need to dance it out._

Derek shook the memory off as he ascended the three steps to his mother's front door. It was a rare day off midweek, and he'd decided to pay his mother a visit. He knocked gently before letting himself in.

"Mom?" he called.

"Derek!" Carolyn smiled as she entered the front hallway, and pulled him into a hug, "It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too," he assured her with a kiss on the cheek.

"How are you?" she inquired.

"I'm good. Missing Mer," he shrugged.

"I miss her, too, dear," she offered.

Derek sighed as he followed his mother into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. She was busy cooking, but that was nothing unusual. One of his sisters would probably be coming over for dinner. Carolyn enjoyed having company while she prepared meals.

"I'm starting to have doubts about his whole thing," Derek admitted.

Carolyn dropped the spoon she was using to stir some sort of sauce and whipped around, fury in her eyes, "Derek Christopher Shepherd, how could you even say that? That girl is a strong, intelligent, beautiful, capable woman and she deserves better than for you to doubt her. She's given you everything. She uprooted her life and moved across the country alone for you. You don't get to have doubts"

Wide-eyed, Derek held his hands up in defense as his mother ranted, "Mom, I didn't mean Meredith. I'll never doubt that part of my life. Not even for a second."

His mother sighed in relief, "Well then, don't scare me like that!"

Derek chuckled slightly, "Good to know my relationship has the full support of my mother, though."

"If you somehow messed up your relationship I'm not sure I'd ever let it go," she admitted with a smile.

"Don't worry about that, Ma," he smiled back.

"Now that that's settled, what are you doubting?" she inquired.

Derek sighed again, "The move. We'll be out there and you'll all be here. Everyone misses Mer already. Maybe this whole thing was a big mistake. I can make a career here in New York."

Carolyn turned the stove down and took a seat next to her son, "Derek, you made this decision for a reason. It's the right thing for you to do. If you're unhappy in a few years, you and Meredith can discuss moving back after she finishes her residency. But even if you're having doubts, you owe it to her to try this. Although, Meredith is also the person you should be talking to about this."

"I think it's just because I miss her. I'm not sure the doubts are even real," Derek admitted softly.

"It's hard to go from seeing someone everyday to seeing them once a month, isn't it?" she asked.

"It's the hardest thing I've ever done," he nodded.

"Because you love her," Carolyn stated knowingly.

"More than I thought possible…she's…everything," he sighed.

"Are you okay, Derek?" she wondered, though she already knew the answer.

He shrugged, "I just don't remember how to function without her here. And I know it's been months. We're more than halfway done, but it's still just…wrong."

"You know what might make it better?" Carolyn grinned, luring him into her trap.

"I'm guessing you're going to say 'if I'd stop dragging my feet and marry that girl already'. Is that it?" he grumbled.

"You got it," she assured him.

"I'm just worried about how she'll react," Derek admitted.

Carolyn laughed—actually laughed-at the admission, "Derek Christopher that girl loves you as much as you love her. She'd have married you years ago if you'd just give her the opportunity."

"You're right. But it has to be special," he stated thoughtfully.

His mother took a moment to consider his words. Suddenly, she realized what she should have done a long time ago. All this time she'd been pestering them both about marriage, she'd never thought to speed up the process on her own. She had been waiting for Derek to come to her and say he was ready.

Carolyn quickly worked her engagement ring off of her left ring finger, leaving her wedding band without its companion. In spite of the remaining ring, he finger felt naked. She'd worn the ring since she was twenty years old.

She took one last moment to admire the ring before she held it out to her son, "Here," she smiled.

"Mom, what are you doing?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Your father always wanted a son, and when we had you he was so ecstatic. He made me promise him long ago that when you met the love of your life, we'd pass this down to you. I only wish he were here to do it himself," she smiled wistfully.

Derek took the ring, twisting it around under the light and watching as the diamond sparkled, "Are you sure? You really don't have to give this up, Mom. I know how much it means to you."

"And now it'll mean just as much to Meredith," Carolyn smiled.

"It will," Derek smiled back.

"Your father would be so proud of you, Derek. Each and every aspect of who you are amazes me, but he'd be especially proud of the man you are to Meredith," she offered.

"She deserves the world," Derek sighed.

"And you'll help her get it," his mother nodded.

Derek's smile was electric. He was going to marry Meredith Grey.

* * *

 **WEEK 3**

Meredith led Derek into Joe's where they'd planned to meet Cristina. He had been called out for a consult on one of her patients and, after they'd worked together and successfully removed a complex tumor, they decided a small celebration was in order. Derek would be sticking around for another few days to help monitor the patient's post operative care.

The best part was that this trip was technically for work, meaning his typical monthly visit would still be happening the following week. She was getting twice the Derek for no additional cost.

The couple approached a round table off to the left side of the bar where Cristina was seated with George and Alex.

"Hey guys," Meredith smiled, "this is Derek. Derek, you already know Cristina, but this is George and that's Alex."

"Nice to meet you," Derek said, shaking both men's hands.

"Sorry about the extra company, Mer. They found me and helped themselves to a seat," Cristina shrugged.

"It's fine," Meredith waved off the apology.

"I'm going to grab a drink. Tequila, Mer?" Derek offered.

"Please," Meredith replied.

As soon as Derek returned with their drinks, he was bombarded with a myriad of surgical questions from Meredith's friends. Eventually, the conversation steered itself toward less work related topics. Meredith was relieved to find that Derek was fitting in well with her new friends. The entire group was having a grand old time. That is, they were until Izzie arrived.

The tension between Meredith and Izzie had dissipated since their last confrontation, leaving them on friendly terms once more.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late," Izzie announced, taking the last seat at the table.

Derek had just whispered something into Meredith's ear, causing her to giggle and turn her head to kiss him gently. When the two pulled away, they were met with Izzie's look of disgust.

"Is there a problem?" Meredith wondered.

Izzie snorted, "You're unbelievable is all."

"Excuse me?" Meredith demanded. For the second time in as many months, she did not like where this conversation with Izzie was going.

"You know, I gave you the benefit of the doubt the last time. I forced myself to chalk it up to your skill level. But this? This is unbelievable, Meredith. You need to have some self respect. And if you can't respect yourself, you should at least respect your relationship. How would Derek feel about you making out with random attendings for surgeries? Very publicly, I might add," Izzie ranted angrily.

Everyone at the table shifted their wide-eyed gazes between the two women, waiting for Meredith to respond. Derek stood utterly shocked by the blonde's accusations. He could feel the rage radiating from his girlfriend's lithe frame.

"I get that you're jealous of me Izzie, everyone has assured me that that's your problem, but this has gone too far. What the hell gives you the audacity to accuse me of being a cheater?" Meredith demanded.

"The fact that I'm watching you cheat as we speak!" Izzie exclaimed.

"THIS IS DEREK!" Meredith practically screamed, "I'm so sick of you accusing me of things. I did not get here based on my name, I do not use my mother for clout in the surgical community, and I would NEVER cheat on Derek for any reason, but I especially wouldn't do so for a damn surgery."

Izzie's face fell and she at least had the decency to look guilty, "I'm sorry…I…I didn't realize."

"I don't care what you did or didn't realize. You had no right to come in here ranting and raving about my actions," Meredith scolded.

"Meredith, I—" Izzie tried only to be cut off.

"Save it," Meredith demanded, pulling her coat on, "I don't want to hear it anymore. You just crossed a MAJOR line. Whatever the fuck your problem is with me, you need to get over it. I'm done here."

"Come on, Mer," Derek wrapped his arm around her and led her away from the table, shooting an apologetic glance to Cristina, Alex, and George.

"What the fuck was that?" Cristina demanded as the couple departed.

"That was way out of line," Alex agreed. Even George nodded along with their statements.

"Well how was I supposed to know that was Derek?" Izzie grumbled.

"Why the hell would you automatically assume it wasn't?" Cristina frowned.

"It just seemed awfully convenient that a neuro consult showed up and she was immediately placed on the case," Izzie shrugged.

"She's the one who called him! It was her case from the beginning," Cristina defended.

"Oh," Izzie deflated as she was presented with the facts.

"Izzie, she's not a crappy person," Alex added, "whatever your deal is, you need to let it go."

"She doesn't deserve that sort of treatment," George nodded.

The three then gathered their things and made for the exit as well, leaving Izzie alone to sulk. The evening was effectively ruined.

* * *

"I don't think I've ever been this insulted in my life," Meredith insisted, entering the bathroom where Derek was running her a bath. She'd been ranting about Izzie since the moment they left the bar.

Derek finished lighting candles around the tub for her and stepped forward to kiss her forehead, wrapping his arms around her waist "She was out of line."

"Derek," she spoke quietly and self-consciously, "you know I've never given anyone a reason to think that I'd cheat on you, right? Because I swear I—"

Derek cut off the beginnings of her ramble with a firm kiss, "I know, Mer. I trust you."

"Thank you," she sighed in relief, deflating against his strong frame.

"Come on," he directed her toward the tub, "you need to relax. I'm going to get you a glass of wine. I'll be right back."

When Derek returned a few minutes later, he found Meredith surrounded by bubbles, leaning back with her eyes closed. Her hair was in a messy bun on the top of her head, but wisps of hair were escaping to frame her face. She was glowing in the light of the candles that lined the tub. To him, she looked like a goddess of some sort.

"Mer," he whispered.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him, accepting the glass he was holding out, "Thank you."

"Is there anything else I can get you?" he inquired.

"Well," she bit her lip, "you always could join me."

Derek smiled warmly, "Well, who could say no to that?"

"Only you," she stated seriously, "because I'd never ask anyone else."

He knelt beside the tub, cupping her face in his hands and looking her straight in the eye, "I know that. I'm the luckiest man on Earth for that. Please, don't let Izzie's words get to you. I've never doubted you and I never will."

"Okay," she whispered.

Derek quickly shed his clothes and slipped into the warm water behind Meredith. She leaned back against his chest while he lazily draped an arm around her. He grabbed the wine glass from her hand and took a quick sip before handing it back so that she could take a sip of her own.

She felt calmer almost immediately. The man always did know just how to take care of her.

 _Meredith dropped her backpack next to the door and adjusted the thermostat before she collapsed into the large recliner in the living area, curling up under the large flannel blanket that she and Derek had left out the previous night. She was chilled to the bone in spite of her many layers of clothing, which she hadn't bothered to shed upon entering the well heated apartment._

 _When Derek returned soon after, he was surprised to see Meredith's favorite knit cap sticking out of the top of a bundle of flannel in the recliner. He made quick work of shedding his coat, scarf, hat, gloves, and shoes before approaching the chair._

 _"Mer," he began, "what's going on?"_

 _"It's cold," she rasped._

 _Derek frowned at her response. It was cold outside, sure, but their apartment was nice and toasty. He cupped her cheek lovingly and found that she was warm. He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. Scratch warm, he was burning up._

 _"Are you feeling okay?" he inquired._

 _"I'm just cold. And tired. And achy," she explained._

 _"Mer, I think you're coming down with something," he stated._

 _"That's impossible," she argued, "I don't get sick."_

 _"The fact that you're burning up begs to differ," Derek chuckled._

 _"I am not sick," she replied. Suddenly, her small body shuddered as a loud, wet cough tore through her._

 _"Oh, Mer," Derek sighed, "you're sick."_

 _"I'm a little under the weather," she admitted, "but it's nothing serious."_

 _Derek rolled his eyes. The woman was nothing if not stubborn, "Let's at least move you into bed. You'll be more comfortable."_

 _"Too tired," she denied the request._

 _With a sigh, Derek scooped up his girlfriend and her blanket and carried her to their bedroom. He placed her gently on the bed and went to dig through her dresser in search of her softest flannel pajama pants and a pair of fuzzy socks. Once her found them, he fetched one of his large, warm Columbia sweatshirts from the closet and returned to Meredith._

 _"Can you sit up for a minute?" he asked._

 _Meredith's moves were sluggish, but she obliged. Derek helped her remove her scarf, hat, gloves, and coat first. Apparently, she hadn't gotten further than shoes when she arrived at home. She shivered a little as the warm layers came off. He pulled her long sleeved t-shirt and thermal over her head in one quick motion and hurriedly replaced them with a fresh tee and his sweatshirt._

 _He then helped her slip from her jeans into the soft pajamas before massaging some warmth back into her cold feet and slipping the new socks onto them._

 _Meredith smiled gratefully as Derek helped her settle down under the covers, tucking her in tightly before draping the flannel blanket from the living room over their usual bedding._

 _Derek leaned down and kissed her warm forehead, "I'm going to make you some tea and get you something for the fever. Try to rest."_

 _He soon returned with a hot mug of her favorite cinnamon tea, a plate of toast, and two small pills. Helping her sit up once more, Derek squeezed himself between her body and the headboard, providing her with some extra warmth from his body while she had her snack._

 _"I'm not a kid you know," she mumbled as Derek placed her empty mug and plate on the nightstand and helped her lie back down, "I could've done all of this myself."_

 _"Of course," he agreed._

 _"But thank you," she sighed, "no one's ever taken care of me like this when I'm sick."_

 _"Ah," Derek grinned, "so you admit you're sick."_

 _Meredith rolled her eyes, "I'm trying to be nice to you and have a moment, and you can't give it to me?"_

 _"Sorry," he chuckled, "you're very welcome" He kissed her head once more, "I'll always be here to take care of you. Sick, sad, mad, whatever. I'll be here."_

 _Meredith smiled at that, "Will you stay with me? You're like a furnace. It helps."_

 _"Anything you need," he assured her, crawling under the covers and pulling her flush against his chest._

 _"I'm glad I keep you around," she murmured, getting sleepy._

 _Derek snorted, "I love you, too."_

Meredith smiled to herself as she returned to the present. Here he was, taking care of her when she was mad. Again. Just as he'd promised.

She plunged her fingers into his hair and tilted her head up, pulling him in for a quick kiss, "You're everything, Derek Shepherd."

He rewarded her words with the dreamy look she so adored, "As are you, Meredith Grey."

* * *

The next day, Meredith and Derek entered the hospital hand in hand. Derek bought them each a coffee from the cart in the lobby before leading Meredith into the elevator.

They were blissfully alone there. Meredith wrapped her arms around Derek's torso and nuzzled into his chest. He leaned back against the steel wall of the elevator and rubbed her back gently, smiling down at her. The two were so caught up in their own private bubble that neither heard the ding of the elevator doors opening.

"Oh…uh…" Izzie stammered, "I'll take the next one."

Meredith blinked at the sudden intrusion, "Oh, don't mind us. I'm just trying to get a surgery out of my fuck of the week," she deadpanned.

Derek sighed, "Mer."

"I know," she sighed as well.

"I…I really am sorry about last night," Izzie tried, stepping into the elevator.

Derek frowned at the tall blonde surgeon, "Your comments were personal and unnecessary. I'm sure Meredith has never given you a reason to doubt her character, and you insulted me as well. It'll probably take more than a simple apology to make up for this one."

"I…I'd like to apologize to you as well, Dr. Shepherd. You're right, Meredith has never…I shouldn't have assumed," Izzie struggled.

"Save it," Meredith cut in, "Derek's right. You're words are virtually useless."

The couple sent Izzie one last disappointed look before exiting on their floor.

Izzie sighed. She'd really done it this time.

* * *

 **WEEK 4**

Derek had an extra bounce in his step when he got off the plane in Seattle the following week. There was a ring box burning a hole in his pocket, and he was ready. He'd planned the whole thing perfectly. It was time.

Meredith's shift was ending at the same time he was arriving, and they'd planned to meet at home before heading out for a date night.

Upon reaching the house, Derek found Meredith in the shower. He couldn't resist the opportunity to join her, and, after a 'welcome back' quickie, the two got ready for the evening and drove to the ferry boat terminal with matching smiles.

Derek planned to take her out to Bainbridge Island for the evening. It was a nice treat and provided a cozy atmosphere for his big proposal.

They were sitting on a bench on the passenger deck, joking about an incident with one of Derek's nephews the previous day, when everything turned sour.

"Meredith," came an eerily familiar voice.

Both Meredith and Derek looked up to see Thatcher Grey standing before them. There were three women and a young girl standing nearby, as if waiting to be introduced.

"Thatcher," Meredith frowned. Unlike during their last encounter, Meredith was immediately able to find her voice.

"It's good to see you," he shrugged.

"Sure," she mumbled.

Suddenly, a friendly looking older woman stepped forward from the group behind him, "Hello, Meredith. My name is Susan Grey. It's so nice to finally meet you."

Meredith blinked quickly, "Um, you too?"

"These are our daughters," Susan continued motioning towards the remainder of the group, "Lexie and Molly, and that's our granddaughter Laura." Both girls waved and smiled warmly.

Meredith fought to swallow a lump the size of a golf ball in her throat. She'd seen the young girl call him grandpa at the Space Needle, but this was the first time she realized he had an entire family. Here was Thatcher's bright and shiny new family. The one he'd chosen over her. She'd grown up utterly alone. She'd felt like an unloved inconvenience for so many years because of him, and now he had the nerve to allow his wife to introduce her to the family she'd never been granted the opportunity to be a part of.

Derek eyed Meredith worriedly. Something was stewing within her, that much he knew, "Mer, are you okay?"

She remained stone still, but gave his hand a good squeeze. He immediately caught on to the fact that she needed a moment.

"Derek Shepherd," he introduced himself to the family standing before them.

"It's nice to meet you," Susan smiled. She and Thatcher both shook Derek's hand before turning back to Meredith.

"Meredith," Thatcher began, shifting awkwardly, "I know you're probably busy, but if the two of you are open to it, we'd like it if you joined us for dinner."

"Why?" Meredith asked, surprising even herself.

"Well…we…we would like the opportunity to get to know you," he explained.

"Now you want to know me?" she gaped.

"Of course we do," Susan nodded.

"And where exactly were you when I was being tossed from nanny to nanny? Or when I was deemed to old for nannies and left alone? You didn't seem to want to get to know me then," she seethed.

"Mer," Derek tried, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She shook him off and continued, "I was alone. I was so completely alone until I met Derek, and now you think you can waltz back into my life like you've never hurt me? Like I owe you this?"

Susan looked at Meredith sympathetically, "Dear, we can't change the past, but—"

"But the past is when I needed you all! I have a family now. The Shepherds are my family. I'm not interested in one that wasn't interested in me for the last twenty years," she stated definitively, standing up from her seat. Derek followed suit.

"Meredith," Thatcher breathed, an overwhelming amount of sadness in his eyes.

"I'm sure you're all very nice people," she conceded, "but I can't do this."

With that, she let Derek lead her away from the scene. After the incident with Izzie the previous week, this was the last thing she needed. They called after her, but she ignored them.

Once they were out of sight, Derek pulled her to him, hugging her tightly. She clung to him for dear life. As soon as the boat reached the dock, he led her back to the car.

He passed the restaurant he'd planned to bring her to and stopped at a small fifties themed ice cream parlor instead. Meredith offered him a weak smile when he bought her a giant sundae. Comfort food was good.

After they ate, they walked together silently for a short time before Meredith asked if they could just go home. Derek wasn't about to argue with the request.

Derek stashed the ring in the nightstand on his side of the bed while Meredith was brushing her teeth. When she reappeared in the bedroom, he was already under the covers. He held his arms out for her. She practically ran and leaped into them.

He held her tightly, offering reassurances. When she began to cry, he felt tears welling in his own eyes. No one, least of all Meredith, deserved to be confronted by a family she didn't know existed the way she had been tonight. He despised Thatcher Grey for the sudden assault.

They talked through the incident some before Meredith's heavy eyelids closed by their own accord.

As he ran his fingers through her hair, Derek couldn't help but note that she didn't look peaceful in her sleep tonight. She still looked distressed.

His anger towards Thatcher Grey only intensified. This should've been one of the greatest nights of her life—of their lives. Instead of adding another joyous piece to her life's puzzle, he was going to have to repair the pieces Thatcher and his new family had broken this evening.

It's true what they say. Life's not fair.


	10. Chapter 9 (Month 5)

**Hey guys! So sorry about the issues with reviews not posting earlier in the week, but I think I have it fixed now. Please let me know if not...that is if you can get a review to post. Weird situation, am I right? Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It definitely isn't one of the better ones in my eyes.**

 **Also, POLL ABOUT THE EPILOGUE: Would you prefer A) Merder wedding; B) Far future; or C) Immediately following the end of this story? Let me know in the reviews, please :)**

* * *

 **WEEK 1**

Izzie approached Meredith in the residents' lounge as she was changing into her street clothes.

"Meredith, can we talk?" she requested for what seemed to Meredith like the thousandth time.

"Sure," she sighed, resigned to the fact that Izzie wouldn't be backing down anytime soon.

"I'm really sorry about what happened a few weeks ago. I know you aren't a cheater, and I had no right to accuse you of such," Izzie stated.

"You didn't," Meredith agreed.

"And I know you think my words are useless, but I really mean it. I've been jealous of you since you arrived here. You came in and you blew everyone out of the water. No one but Cristina can keep up with you, and that's hard for me. I struggle just to keep my head above water in this program. Hell, I just barely passed my intern exam, and you adjusted without any problems. I'm so jealous of you that I sometimes wish I could set things on fire," Izzie explained.

Meredith turned to face her, "Thank you for admitting that, but jealousy won't get you anywhere in this field. You should channel it into something more worthwhile than wild accusations. Something that'll help you improve."

"You're right," Izzie nodded.

"Look, I'm not ready to dive right into a friendship with you after all this. I feel like I'm too old for the high school style drama thing, but obviously we can't avoid each other forever," Meredith explained.

"Okay," Izzie bit her lip.

"So, if you're truly sorry, we can be civil. Everything else will come with time," Meredith finished.

"I'd like that," Izzie smiled.

"Good. See you tomorrow, then," Meredith smiled back.

The rest of the week went by without issue. Izzie was civil and professional, staying away from Meredith's personal life even when she and Cristina invited the taller doctor out for a drink on Friday evening.

Perhaps Izzie Stevens wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

 **WEEK 2**

Meredith, Cristina, Izzie, Alex, George, and all the other second year residents sat outside of the conference room where the Chief, Dr. Bailey, and several attendings were having a lively debate.

It was solo surgery time. One lucky second year would be taking the lead on a surgery for the first time. The attendings would vote on who they thought was the most qualified, and that lucky surgeon would operate later in the afternoon.

Meredith was trying not to get her hopes up. She was still relatively new here. It would be understandable for the attendings to overlook her completely. Cristina, on the other hand, was fiercely confident. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she would get this surgery.

The rest of their little group scoffed and made comments about beating Yang, but they were all halfhearted. Good natured smack talk continued to fly among all the residents until the door to the conference room flew open.

The attendings filed out followed by the Chief until the residents were left facing only Dr. Bailey. Everyone was completely silent.

"As you all know, each year the attendings vote for the most promising second year to perform his or her first solo surgery," Dr. Bailey stated.

Everyone nodded along. Most were fidgeting with anticipation.

"This year, however, things went a little differently. For the first time in Seattle Grace history, there was a tie that could not be broken," she explained.

"Why couldn't it be broken?" Cristina demanded.

Bailey rolled her eyes, "Because the votes were split evenly among only two residents. Normally we'd ask those who voted for a non-winner to break the tie."

The second years gasped. This was certainly a rare and impressive event.

"So what happens now?" Cristina continued.

"If you'd hush, I'd tell you," Bailey scolded.

Silence overtook the group once more and Bailey took he opportunity to continue, "The Chief has decided that since he agrees with the analysis of both residents' skills, you will both be awarded a surgery this afternoon."

"Who is it?!" Izzie cried.

Baily shook her head. These impatient fools couldn't let her play up the anticipation, "Yang you'll be performing an appendectomy in OR 3 at 5:00. Grey there's a colon with your name on it in OR 2 at 2:00."

Meredith's jaw dropped, "Me?"

"Is there another Grey on the staff of whom I am not aware?" Bailey deadpanned.

"No," Meredith responded.

"Alright, everyone back to work. Congratulations Grey and Yang. I'll see you both in the OR this afternoon," Bailey nodded.

The residents, including Izzie, congratulated Meredith and Cristina before quickly began to return to their posts, mumbling about having to wait for their own surgeries.

Cristina offered her friend a wide smile, "We're flying solo, Mer!"

Meredith was no longer able to contain her excitement, "We are!"

"I won't lie," Cristina began, "I was a little nervous I'd lose to you."

"Me?" Meredith snorted.

Cristina shrugged, "Everyone here knew it was between the two of us."

"Everyone except me, apparently," Meredith responded.

"Mer, being the new girl doesn't play into this. You have more professional respect in this place than some of the fourth years around here," Cristina insisted.

Meredith smiled, "Thanks."

"But maybe not as much as me," Cristina pointed out.

Meredith laughed, following her friend down the hall to the skills lab. They were going to fly solo.

* * *

At lunchtime, Meredith took the opportunity to call Derek and share the good news.

"Hello?" he answered, breathless.

"Have you been running?" she giggled.

"Yeah," he admitted, "busy day. What's up?"

Meredith nearly bubbled over with excitement, "I'M FLYING SOLO TODAY! Cristina and I both are. We're the first of our year!"

"MER! THAT'S AMAZING!" Derek was grinning wildly, "I'm so proud of you. Not surprised, but definitely proud."

She giggled, "Thanks, Der."

"What kind of procedure are you performing?" he asked.

"Colectomy," she smiled.

"You could do that in your sleep," he assured, "You're going to kick ass in there. I only wish I could be there to see it."

"I'll be sure it's taped for you," she nodded.

"God, Mer. I really am so proud of you. It can't be easy to earn to first solo surgery of your year at a new hospital. You amaze me," he breathed.

"I'm sort of amazed myself," she admitted.

"Mer, I'm being paged. I'm sorry. Call me as soon as it's over! I love you so much," Derek rambled.

"I love you, too," Meredith's smile felt like a permanent fixture after hanging up. Life was happening.

* * *

Meredith took a deep breath as she stepped up to the left side of the operating table. Another rush of excitement bubbled inside of her when she realized this was the first time of many.

With a deep breath, she looked around at all the members of her team. Dr. Bailey was sitting in the corner of the room. She was meant to be supervising, but she'd hinted to Meredith that she wasn't feeling particularly worried.

She felt like she should say something before starting. Her mind was too wired to think of a new phrase, so she borrowed Derek's signature.

"It's a beautiful day to save lives. Let's have some fun," she smiled, "Ten blade."

All of Meredith's nerves, excitement, and scattered thoughts faded away the moment she touched scalpel to skin. She felt focused, determined, and ready. It was almost as if the rest of the world fell away, and it was just her and the patient.

The surgery was routine until about halfway through, when Meredith ran into some unexpected bleeders that she reasoned must have been the result of the large ulcer she'd seen in the scans. Dr. Bailey worriedly stood and began to make her way to the table.

Meredith closed her eyes and took a quick, deep breath. When she reopened them, she knew exactly what to do. Before Bailey even reached the table, Meredith had the situation under control. She resolved the complications and got back to the procedure as planned.

Everyone in the gallery was in awe of her quick and efficient work and the level of confidence with which she performed it.

"How did you?" Dr. Bailey asked, awed.

"I'm very familiar with the procedure, Dr. Bailey," Meredith explained without looking up from the open body cavity on the table, "I've seen it both in person and on tape since I was a little girl. I've even seen this same problem before."

Bailey nodded, "Good work, Dr. Grey."

With that, she retreated back to her stool in the corner and picked up a magazine. If she was confident before Meredith started, she was now worry free.

It felt to Meredith like no time at all had passed when she began closing. She threw her stitches quickly and perfectly, stepping away from the table with a wide smile.

She turned to Dr. Bailey, "I did it."

Bailey smiled warmly. Meredith couldn't see the majority of her face thanks to the surgical mask, but her eyes said it all, "Well done, Grey."

Meredith felt like she was floating as she scrubbed out and dialed Derek's number. She found an abandoned gurney in a nearby hallway and took a seat.

"How was it?" Derek answered after only two rings.

"It went…really well," she giggled.

"God, I knew you would nail it. I'm so, so proud of you," he insisted.

Meredith went on to tell him about every moment of the surgery.

"You mean to tell me you ran into complications during your first solo surgery, and your supervisor didn't even have to offer you instructions?" Derek breathed, in awe of her story.

"I know…it was amazing," she beamed.

"You are going to be so amazing," Derek promised, "Hell, you already are."

"Thanks, Der," she grinned.

"Well, I don't want to keep you from watching Cristina. We'll talk more about it tonight," Derek prompted.

"Okay. I love you, Der," she stated.

"Love you, too, Mer," he responded, "Kick some more ass today."

"I will," she assured him before she hung up.

With her head held high, she made her way to the gallery to watch her best friend operate. Unsurprisingly, Cristina also nailed her surgery, though it went off without a hitch. Afterwards, the two hid in the tunnels and compared experiences for the rest of their shift.

Late that night, as she crawled into bed to call Derek, Meredith received a text from her mother.

 _Richard says you were a natural in the OR today. Congratulations, Meredith._

She was both surprised and elated by the very notion of the message. She fell asleep that night with a wide smile.

Meredith Grey was a real surgeon now.

 **WEEK 3**

When Derek arrived at the house in Seattle this month, he had no plans to propose. His intentions were shattered by one little faux pas: he'd forgotten the ring in New York. A shift that ran later than expected had led him to a rushed packing job and a nearly missed flight. The ring somehow slipped through the cracks.

"Hey," Meredith smiled as he entered the living room. She was sitting on the sofa with her feet kicked up on the coffee table.

"Hi," he smiled back, kissing her quickly. He laid across the couch, resting his head in her lap.

Meredith ran her fingers through his hair, massaging his temples gently, "Long flight?"

"And a long shift," he confirmed.

"I'm sorry," she smiled sympathetically.

"It's fine. I'm still glad to see you," he shrugged.

"And glad to escape the holiday preparations, I'm sure," Meredith stated knowingly.

"Absolutely. They may be able to get me out of work, but they can't get me away from Seattle," he nodded.

Meredith laughed at his statement. Derek had once attempted to take an extra shift to avoid helping his mother and sisters shop and prepare things for Thanksgiving. His second oldest sister, Nancy, had called his boss and gotten him out of the aforementioned shift. Derek had been both humiliated and disappointed.

"Besides," Derek began, "I probably won't be there."

Meredith frowned, "What do you mean you won't be there?"

He shrugged, "I thought I'd come out here and spend Thanksgiving with you."

Her frown deepened at the idea, "Derek, I'm working on Thanksgiving. You need to be with your family."

"But I want to be with you. You're my family, too," he insisted.

"Derek, who knows when you'll have another opportunity to spend the holidays with your mother and sisters? It could be years before we get a chance to go out there for Thanksgiving again, and you're going to give up your last one to sit here alone while I'm at work?" she demanded, anger growing in her tone.

Derek sat up, confused, "I just figured you wouldn't want to be alone."

"I want to be with your family! Derek, I miss them so much. But I HAVE to be out here. I don't understand why you'd give up such a beautiful tradition to sit alone in a house and wait for me to come home in the middle of the night. It's…it's just stupid!" she exclaimed.

He took a deep breath. This was so not how he expected this conversation to go, "It's stupid that I want to be with you now? I'm supposed to apologize for that?!"

"That's not what I'm saying and you know it," she seethed.

"Then what exactly are you saying?" he asked, exasperated.

"I'M ASKING YOU NOT TO GIVE UP A REAL HOLIDAY, WHICH I'D DESPERATELY LIKE TO ATTEND, FOR NO REASON," she yelled.

The hurt look on his face was too much for her. It was rare, but sometimes when they fought like this, she had to take a moment to herself afterwards. This was one of those moments. She turned away and stomped up the stairs, slamming the door to their bedroom.

Derek sat alone and confused on the sofa below. How had a simple idea turned into their first fight in months?

 _"I just want to know who that guy was," Derek mumbled, unlocking the door to his apartment._

 _"He's in my lab. I don't even really know him. I think his name is Thomas," Meredith sighed._

 _"Well, Thomas needs to back off. He was all over you," Derek rolled his eyes._

 _Meredith snorted, "You cannot seriously be jealous of that guy."_

 _"I am not jealous," Derek insisted._

 _"You are, though. You're getting all worked up over some guy in a bar," she argued._

 _"Do you even want to be with me?" he demanded._

 _Meredith was taken aback, "What the hell kind of question is that?"_

 _"Well, I'm just saying, plenty of guys are interested. Maybe you'd prefer to be with Thomas," he shrugged._

 _"You're being ridiculous," she rolled her eyes._

 _"Am I, though? Meredith it's not a secret that you could have anyone you want," he continued._

 _Anger crossed her face, "Are you suggesting that I'm 'having' people who aren't you?"_

 _"No…I just…" he stammered._

 _"You just don't trust me," she stated, livid._

 _"I do trust you, Mer. It's these random guys I don't trust," Derek retorted._

 _"THERE ARE NO RANDOM GUYS!" she yelled, "Derek, I'm dating you. YOU. I don't pay attention to anyone else. And I cannot fucking believe that you can't trust me."_

 _"I know you're not interested, but they are," he tried again._

 _"I don't understand what the problem is. When you get over whatever's got your panties in a twist, call me," she stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her._

 _Derek wasn't sure what had come over him, but he hated himself for it. What was his point, exactly? He was jealous because other guys were looking at Meredith. She did nothing to prompt it. She did nothing to egg in on. He shook his head, feeling stupid for his words._

 _He was about to go after her when there was a knock at the door. He opened it to reveal his still very angry girlfriend._

 _"Girls throw themselves at you, too! Don't think I don't notice that crap, because I do. But, apparently, unlike you, I trust you to ignore it. Derek, I trust you. I don't understand why you can't do the same. I have never, since the day we've met, given you a reason to doubt me. It fucking hurts that you would," she huffed, turning to leave once again._

 _Derek grabbed her wrist gently, pulling her into him and wrapping her in a hug._

 _"Stop!" she demanded, hitting his chest with her tiny, ineffectual fists._

 _"Mer, I'm sorry," he stated, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that I don't trust you."_

 _She calmed down considerably, though the fury was still evident in her eyes, "What did you mean then?"_

 _"I didn't mean anything. I was jealous and stupid and I picked a fight. I'm sorry. I trust you wholeheartedly and I would never doubt your fidelity," he swore._

 _"You just did, though," she countered._

 _"I didn't, really. I swear," he tried again._

 _"You were an ass," she continued._

 _"I was," he agreed._

 _"I don't care if you get jealous, you can't go all caveman on me. Yell at the guys instead," she demanded._

 _"I will," he assured her, "I'm so sorry, Mer."_

 _She unclenched her fists and wrapped her arms around him, "I know you are."_

 _He breathed a sigh of relief, "I swear I'll make it up to you."_

 _She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow, "You're gonna start right now."_

 _"What do you need? I'll give you anything," he nodded._

 _She giggled at him, smirking, "This was our first real fight…"_

 _"It was," he smirked back._

 _"Take me to bed, Derek," she requested, pulling him in for a searing kiss._

He tried to give her time, but after ten minutes it was too much. After taking the stairs two at a time, he knocked somewhat timidly on the bedroom door.

It swung open, revealing a very sad, stressed-looking Meredith.

"I'm sorry," she said immediately, "Derek I'm so, so sorry."

Derek sighed in relief. It was over, "I'm sorry, too."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," she assured him, "you were just being thoughtful. I went all psycho bitch on you."

He shook his head, "I should've known you wouldn't want us both to miss out on the family holiday."

Meredith flung her arms around him, needing to have him close. He reciprocated.

"It's not that I don't want you here," she swore, "I always want you here. It's just…I want to be there, and I can't. But you can. I want you to be."

"You're sure you'll be okay alone, though?" he whispered.

"I spent a lot of holidays alone before you came along. I'll be fine," she promised.

"This is the last time," he stated, kissing her head.

"I'm sorry for picking a fight," Meredith sighed.

Derek gently lifted her head so that she was looking him in the eye, "Mer, we live on opposite coasts. That's stressful. If you need to take it out on me now and then, it's fine. Besides, I like fighting with you," he smirked.

Meredith pressed her lips to his, "Because of the makeup sex?"

He scooped her up in one motion, dropping her gently on the bed, "Because of the makeup sex."

"I love you so much," she stated through her wild giggles.

"I love you more," he shrugged, lying beside her and pulling her into another passionate kiss.

* * *

A few hours later, Meredith struggled to find sleep. She was warm and comfy and safe in Derek's arms, but she was still awake.

"Der," she whispered, shaking him a little. He groaned and ignored her.

"Der, wake up," she tried again.

He pulled her closer, "No," he mumbled.

She kissed his jaw, "Please."

Derek's eyelids fluttered open and he offered her a groggy smile, "What's happening?"

"I can't sleep," she shrugged.

"So I don't get to sleep either?" he joked.

"I stay up and help you when you can't sleep," she pointed out.

"Fair enough," he conceded, rubbing large, warm circles on her back.

"Thank you," she nodded.

"I love you, you know," Derek began.

"You mentioned it, yes," she quipped.

"But I love every single thing about you," he continued, "I love your long, graceful fingers and your life saving hands. And the whole of your tiny body. I love your hair. It's always soft and it smells nice. I love your smile. It's contagious and it's one of the most beautiful sights I've ever laid eyes on. I love your giggle. It makes my whole body warm. And I love your eyes…because when I look into them, I see my whole world."

She smiled widely, "Is that all?"

His words were doing wonders to help her relax. She could already feel her mind moving towards sleep.

"Well, no. I love all the things you do, too. I love the face you make when you're in the OR. Your eyes change and it's clear that, in that moment, your sole focus is the patient. It's how I know you're going to be a great surgeon. I love the way your nose crinkles when you're mad, and you're about to set someone straight. I love the ways you support me, even when I don't think I deserve it. I love you for every moment you've held me, and watched me in a vulnerable state, and not judged me for it. I love you for every second you've spent dancing it out since we've met. I love you for singing me to sleep when my insomnia kicks in. I love you for waking me up to help with yours," he glanced down at her. She was asleep. He smiled widely at the sight. A smile was spread across her face, and she looked peaceful.

Derek bent his head down to whisper in her ear, "I love you more than anything. Forever."

* * *

The rest of Derek's visit was a relaxed one. They snuggled on the couch and watched old movies. There was comfort food for every meal. In spite of their petty argument, it turned out to be a great weekend.

When Meredith drove him to the airport on Monday morning, it was a hard departure. She waved goodbye as he walked through security and, for the first time since she'd moved, when she got back to her car, she put her head down on the steering wheel and cried. He hadn't left yet, and she already wanted him back. It was going to be a long holiday season.

* * *

 **WEEK 4**

In spite of the fact that it was a holiday, Meredith was happy to be at work. Aside from last year, when she'd been forced to work on Christmas Eve, she'd spent every holiday since they'd met with Derek's family. She would prefer to work than to sit at home alone. It was already strange enough not being surrounded by the hustle and bustle of Derek's large family.

She'd already spoken to both Derek and Carolyn that morning. They assured her the sisters would be calling later, and Meredith had laughed. It was only 5 AM when they called, but that was 8 AM New York time, so no one was inconvenienced by the early hour. Meredith really had appreciated the call. It was a nice way to start her day.

At Bailey's request, Meredith was covering the pit. The day was relatively uneventful. There were a few burns from people's attempts to fry turkeys, but none were too bad. All of those patients had been given a burn ointment and sent on their way. Those injuries were the most exciting so far.

Meredith laughed at herself. She was rating the quality of holiday injuries. That was sort of sick, but that was life as a surgeon.

"Dr. Grey," a nurse approached her.

Meredith smiled warmly at the older woman, "What can I do for you?"

"There's a patient in bed 3 who needs some stitches. It shouldn't take long, could you cover it?" the nurse asked.

"No problem," Meredith nodded, already making her way to the bed.

She pulled back the curtain and suppressed a groan.

"Meredith," Susan grinned, holding a paper towel to her thumb.

"Susan," Meredith nodded, "I can just…get you another doctor if you'd like."

"No, sweetheart, I'm sure you can handle a couple stitches," Susan smiled.

Meredith sighed. There weren't many doctors around right now. If she passed Susan off, the woman would likely have to wait for a while. Meredith just couldn't bring herself to ruin someone's Thanksgiving like that. She nodded and pulled up a stool.

"How did you injure your thumb?" she asked, gently removing the wrapping from Susan's hand to see a deep gash in her thumb.

"I was chopping some vegetables while chatting with my sister, and I nicked it. Just your average kitchen injury," Susan replied.

"Well, it doesn't look all that bad. You'll just need a few stitches then I can get you back to your cooking," Meredith assured her, "I just need you to fill out some paperwork first."

"Oh, the nice nurse gave the paperwork to my sister. She's filling it out in the waiting room," Susan explained.

"Great, then I'll stitch you up and get you out of here," Meredith smiled.

"So," Susan began as Meredith disinfected her wound, "it's a pity you have to work on a holiday."

"I actually volunteered," Meredith explained.

"Oh…is Derek working today as well?" she inquired.

"Derek actually lives in New York and so does his family. He's moving out here once he finishes his fellowship. I've actually only lived here for five months, so I had no family to spend the day with, anyway. I figured I could relieve someone who did," Meredith shrugged.

"I didn't realize you were alone out here, dear," Susan frowned.

Meredith frowned as well, but at the woman's tone, as she prepared some lidocane to numb the area, "I'm not alone. I have friends."

"I see. Well, nonetheless, you should join us for Thanksgiving. Most of the extended family will be there already, so you won't be forced to speak to anyone for too long, plus the more the merrier!" Susan smiled.

Meredith sighed as she administered the numbing shot, "That's sweet, but I'll be working until at least 6 PM if not later."

Susan sensed that Meredith probably wouldn't attend regardless of what time she got off work, "Would you at least let me bring you a plate? I'll drop it off myself, your father doesn't even have to come."

Meredith looked up from her sutures, meeting the kind woman's eyes, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"You're family, Meredith. I know things haven't been easy for you, but I'd still like to have a chance to know you. I can handle baby steps," Susan assured.

"You won't bring Thatcher?" Meredith asked, biting her lip.

"No, dear. Please, let me do this for you. It's Thanksgiving," the older woman practically begged.

"Fine," Meredith sighed, "Just a plate though."

"Deal," Susan beamed. Meredith quickly finished stitching her thumb and bandaged the area. She walked Susan through care and maintenance as well as when she'd be expected to return for removal.

"Thank you, Meredith. I'll see you this evening?" Susan raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Meredith breathed, "I live at my mom's old house."

Susan nodded, handing Meredith a slip of paper she'd just written on, "Here's my phone number. Let me know when you get off and text me the exact address."

"Okay…thank you, Susan. This is really nice of you," Meredith smiled weakly.

"It's not even a problem. Happy Thanksgiving, Meredith," she replied, walking towards the waiting room to meet her sister.

"Happy Thanksgiving," Meredith called after her retreating form.

* * *

Meredith smiled to herself when the doorbell rang that evening. She was starving and looked forward to a nice, home cooked meal.

That smile fell, however, when she saw a woman only a few years younger than herself standing on the porch. She was a little angry at Susan for lying to her.

"Hi, I'm Lexie," the woman offered, smiling weakly, "My mom apologizes, but she couldn't get away and she really wanted you to get the meal she promised."

Meredith nodded, accepting the plate that Lexie was holding out to her, "Thank you."

Lexie bit her lip nervously, shifting from foot to foot, "I know you probably don't want to talk to me, and it's fine if you say no. I completely understand…"

Meredith raised an eyebrow, prompting her to finish.

"But I'm a med student, and you're a doctor. If you wouldn't mind, I'd really like the opportunity to pick your brain about medicine," Lexie stuttered out.

With a deep breath, Meredith decided it was the least she could do. The girl had left her family on Thanksgiving to bring her some dinner, after all.

"Sure," she sighed, "come on in."

Much to Meredith's surprise, the two chatted about medicine, surgery, and the struggles of med school for nearly three hours before Lexie received a text asking where she was. Meredith found herself slightly disappointed when Lexie then announced she had to get going. The conversation had been fun and interesting, and Lexie had stayed far away from more personal topics, which Meredith appreciated tremendously.

"I'll see you around when I get back to Seattle for winter break, maybe" Lexie smiled as she pulled her coat back on.

Meredith smiled back, "Call me if you have any questions or need help with anything during your finals. Good luck."

"I'll definitely do that. Thanks a lot, Meredith."

As she closed the door behind Lexie and thought back on her day, Meredith realized it wasn't so bad. Sure, she'd missed the big celebration in New York, but it still wasn't anything like the holidays before Derek.

She'd been greeted with well wishes first thing in the morning, chatted randomly with Derek throughout the day, been pounded with 'we miss you' complaints by all the sisters, and had maybe started to make her way towards having a relationship with the Grey family. Derek had been especially proud and encouraging of that last part…or at least, like Meredith, he was happy with the situation when it didn't involve Thatcher. Both were still weary of that piece of the puzzle.

As she lay listening to Derek's even breathing that night, she was content. She may not have everything right in front of her like she'd originally wanted, but she was sure, in that moment, that what she had was enough.

And she was thankful.


	11. Chapter 10 (Month 6)

**Hey everybody! Sorry I've been gone for a bit, but I had some trouble getting this last chapter where I wanted it to go. I'm still not totally happy with it, but hopefully you'll enjoy it regardless. Thank you as always for your feedback! I promise to address the questions about a sequel in the epilogue as I'm still thinking some things over. Also, I feel it's worth noting that the prologue would fit into week 1 of this chapter.**

* * *

 **WEEK 1**

The beginning of her final month of living away from Derek was proving to be difficult. And that was putting it nicely.

Meredith was taking on tons of extra shifts and pushing for as many hours as possible both in the OR and the gallery. She was trying to accumulate some days off for a little plan she had concocted.

She figured working enough to get the time would be easy. Obviously, she had forgotten about the inevitable influx of holiday related injuries, and thus the far busier shifts. How did so many people manage to hurt themselves while decorating?

Taking off more than twelve hours at a time wasn't an option for Meredith anymore. She'd work for 24, 36, or 48 hours straight, go home to shower and sleep, and rush back to the hospital.

Her conversations with Derek maintained their regular frequency, though oftentimes their calls took place as she was sitting in the gallery. Meredith had already discovered that getting your observation hours in was a good way to tiptoe around the 80 hours per week work limit—not that the hospital enforced that one very well.

Meanwhile, in New York, Derek was also pounding in the extra hours. He was working on a little surprise of his own. The man was utterly exhausted.

When Meredith had been an intern at Mt. Sinai, he'd often elected to match his shifts to hers. That was actually one of the reasons he was able to complete his fellowship early. Few fellows were willing to work an intern's hours. It had paid off, he supposed.

Now, however, he was outdoing even the interns. He figured if he pushed as hard as he could, he just might be able to give Meredith something extra special to end the year.

Carolyn was worried about the both of them. She knew of both parties' plans, and, while she was supportive, it was hard to see her children wearing themselves out in such a way.

She'd been doing her best to keep in touch with them both lately. Derek was close to home, so she wasn't quite as concerned with him. If it came down to it, she or one of his sisters could drive over and rip him out of the hospital.

It was Meredith that bothered her. The poor girl was across the country working her tail off. The last time they'd spoken, Meredith had been so exhausted she'd cried. It tore Carolyn's heart in half.

Always a woman of action, she decided it was time to step in. With a decisive nod, she picked up her phone and dialed the familiar number.

"Hi, it's Carolyn. I need to speak to you about something important…"

* * *

Putting her head down on the conference room table, Meredith took a moment to rest her eyes. Being an adult was the worst.

"Grey," Bailey called, "what on Earth are you still doing here?"

"Charting," Meredith answered simply. She opened her eyes and turned her head to face her boss, but made no move to lift it.

"It's time to go home," Bailey commanded.

"I'm just going to crash in an on call room," Meredith explained.

"No, you're going to go home and sleep in a real bed and take a real shower," Bailey insisted.

"That isn't necessary Dr. Bailey, I'm fine," Meredith argued.

"Grey, do as I say or I won't let you come in tomorrow," the shorter surgeon threatened.

"Fine," Meredith sighed.

"You must be the only person in this hospital complaining about being sent home at night," Bailey pointed out.

"That won't be the case once there's someone to go home to again," Meredith sighed.

"Is that what all the extra hours are about?" Bailey asked, her expression softening.

"No," Meredith frowned.

"Then what is it?" Bailey questioned.

With a deep breath and a weak smile, Meredith decided it was time Bailey was brought in on her little holiday plan.

* * *

 **WEEK 2**

Meredith dragged her exhausted body through the front door. She wasn't sure how she was still standing. It was a miracle she'd made it home behind the wheel. Part of her wanted to take a cab, but she knew she probably wouldn't be able to stay up long enough to wait for its arrival.

She was so exhausted, she almost didn't notice the warm, delicious aroma flowing coming from the kitchen. Her stomach rumbled, and she decided that a bite to eat before bed would do her some good.

Following the sweet scent, she entered the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks.

"Mom?" she questioned.

Ellis Grey turned away from the takeout containers she was unpacking to face her daughter.

"Hello, Meredith," she smiled.

"What are you doing here?" Meredith asked.

"Come and sit down. You need to eat," her mother commanded.

Meredith nodded and took a seat at the table, opening a box that contained some sort of ravioli. She was too tired to wonder what it was, so she just dug in.

"Meredith, I'm worried about you," Ellis stated.

"What?" Meredith nearly choked.

"Carolyn called. She said you haven't taken more than a half day off since Thanksgiving," Ellis explained.

"Carolyn called you?" Meredith inquired. This night just kept getting stranger.

"Carolyn and I speak often. I like to keep tabs on my daughter, but I don't want to bother you," Ellis said.

"Oh…well, you can call me. That's fine," Meredith shrugged, feeling guilty.

"It's fine, Meredith. I'm here to make sure you don't work yourself to death," Ellis insisted.

"I just have to get my hours in. I want a few days off to go and spend Christmas with Derek and his family," Meredith sniffled.

Ellis stared at Meredith for a moment before making a move that was unprecedented in the Ellis Grey chronicles. She walked over to her daughter, took the chair nearest hers, and wrapped the younger woman in her arms.

Meredith resisted for a moment before she broke, crying on her mother's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I'm not weak. This isn't normal for me, I swear."

"Meredith Elizabeth Grey," Ellis frowned, lifting her chin so that their eyes met, "you are tough as nails. I know this and so do you. I know I've said some harsh things to you in the past, but I'm turning a new leaf."

"Okay," she sniffled.

"I know this is hard. I can't even imagine how hard this is, but I'm going to stay here. I'm going to be here for you. Whatever you need, I'll get you through until Christmas. We will get through the next week and a half," Ellis promised.

"You're busy," Meredith mumbled, "you don't have to do that."

"I've already taken the time off. No one says no to Ellis Grey."

"Thank you," Meredith breathed.

"You need someone here right now. Carolyn pointed out that you needed a mother, and I figured it was about time I stepped up, not that she wouldn't have."

This brought Meredith over the edge once again. She cried and cried until there weren't any tears left.

"I just miss Derek so much. And now I'm so tired."

"I know. But you're going to finish what you started. We'll get through this," Ellis nodded definitively, "Now, come on. Let's get you up to bed. The last thing you need is to be more exhausted than you already are. I spoke to your boss and you have tomorrow off."

Meredith opened her mouth to protest, but Ellis cut her off.

"Meredith, one day won't hurt you. I'm sure you've already more than earned the few days you wanted off for Christmas. If you don't get some real sleep, you're going to collapse."

"Okay," she sighed.

Ellis helped her up and walked upstairs with her. Meredith made quick work of getting ready for bed, Ellis sitting in a nearby chair. She tossed and turned for a few minutes before her mother came closer, sitting on the edge of the mattress, and started gently running her fingers through Meredith's hair.

"Sleep," Ellis commanded.

After a few more minutes, Meredith was out.

She slept for a long time. When she finally woke, things seemed possible again. She felt renewed and refreshed.

Sitting up slowly, she checked the time. 6 AM. She'd definitely be returning to bed after a bathroom run. Her breath caught in her throat, however, when she glanced across the room and saw her mother.

Ellis Grey was asleep in her chair, a blanket draped haphazardly over her body. Meredith was nearly reduced to tears once more. It had taken twenty-seven years, but her mother was finally trying to be her mom. It was a beautiful sight.

After relieving herself, Meredith approached her mother's sleeping form.

"Mom?" Meredith gently nudged her.

Her mother's eyes opened almost immediately, "What do you need?"

"Nothing, I just thought you might be more comfortable in an actual bed," Meredith offered.

Ellis glanced at the clock as she contemplated the suggestion. It was after 8 AM back in Minnesota, "I've already slept far more than I normally would."

"A little extra wouldn't hurt," Meredith shrugged.

Ellis sighed, taking in the dark purple marks and bags beneath her daughters eyes, "You're right."

Offering a hand, Meredith helped her mother out of the chair. They both climbed into Meredith's bed, sinking quickly into the mattress.

Holding tightly to her mother's hand, Meredith allowed sleep to overtake her once more. They were going to make it to Christmas. Together.

 **WEEK 3**

"Carolyn," Meredith sighed, "please just keep him off the plane for me."

"But Meredith, he isn't planning on leaving New York. He's going to spend Christmas with us."

"I know that's what he's saying, but you and I both know he's going to freak out about me being alone for Christmas and fly out here."

"Which would be counterproductive to your surprise," Carolyn finished.

"Exactly," Meredith confirmed.

"It's not going to be easy," Carolyn warned.

"I know. Get the sisters on him if you have to."

"Don't worry, dear. I'll handle everything. You just fly safely."

"Thank you," Meredith breathed.

"I can't wait to see you, Mer. We've all missed you terribly," the older woman admitted.

"I miss you, too. I'll see you soon," she smiled.

* * *

Two days later, Meredith touched down in New York. All the extra hours she'd put it had been worth it. They'd made it possible to accrue the time off to travel back to the east coast for Christmas.

With Bailey's approval, Meredith had gone to the Chief to ask for Christmas Eve, Christmas day, and the following day off. She'd be with Derek and the family for Christmas and spend the surrounding days travelling.

After looking at her schedule over the last few weeks, the Chief agreed to the time off, and threw in two more days for travel. Meredith was shocked and assured him that it was too much, but he wouldn't hear it. He and Bailey agreed that she deserved the break. Meredith naturally spent the rest of the time before her trip working even harder than she normally would. As promised, Ellis had stayed with her the entire time. She'd left the day before Meredith.

Derek, of course, was still unaware that she was making the trip. She'd avoided having to lie to him by never directly stating that she wouldn't be coming to his mother's. He, of course, simply assumed she'd be staying in Seattle. The only flaw she could see in the plan was the inevitable attempt Derek would make to come and spend Christmas with her. Thankfully, Carolyn and the girls were more than willing to assist her with that dilemma.

"Meredith!" Amelia called once she'd retrieved her suitcase from the conveyor belt in baggage claim.

"Amy," Meredith smiled, hugging her sister.

"I'm so glad to see you," Amelia grinned.

Meredith wasn't surprised that Amy had been sent to pick her up. She was two years younger than Meredith, and the only Shepherd sister who'd yet to start a family, making her the easiest choice for a chauffeur.

"It's good to see you, too," Meredith assured her, "I've missed you guys."

"I still can't believe you let that idiot brother of mine move you across the country," Amelia stated with an over the top eye roll.

Meredith simply laughed, "Seattle isn't so bad. You should come and visit sometime."

"I'll have to do that," Amelia said, ushering Meredith toward the parking garage outside.

The drive to Carolyn's house seemed quick. The women chatted about Meredith's recent surgeries as well as Amelia's med school rotations. They also caught up on trivial things that they'd missed while living on opposite coasts. Before she knew it, Meredith was standing on the familiar front porch of Derek's childhood home.

The door swung open before she even reached for the knob.

"Meredith!" Carolyn exclaimed, pulling her future daughter-in-law into a tight hug.

Meredith smiled as she hugged the older woman back. Carolyn always gave the best hugs. They were warm and comforting and oh so motherly.

"I'm so happy you made it," Carolyn said.

"I'm really, really happy to be here," Meredith agreed.

"Derek doesn't get off until six, but I asked him to come out here for dinner as soon as he's finished," Carolyn explained. It was currently just after 4:00.

"Great, is anyone else here?" Meredith inquired, following Carolyn into the living room.

"Just you and Amelia," Carolyn smiled, "The other girls will be arriving in the morning."

Meredith smiled, "Great. I'll have time to rest, then."

Carolyn laughed at the younger woman, "You sure will. Why don't you go and freshen up, maybe have a shower. You can relax with Amy until Derek arrives while I make dinner."

"That sounds amazing," Meredith breathed.

"Go on and get started then," Carolyn demanded, shooing Meredith in the direction of the staircase.

"Carolyn, where's your ring?" Meredith wondered, the lone wedding band catching her eye as she was shooed.

"Oh, I was worried the stone was coming a little loose. It's just being cleaned and tightened," Carolyn smiled. She cursed herself ever so slightly. Meredith was a very observant girl. She should've been more prepared for that question.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it's safe," Meredith smiled, heading up the stairs.

Carolyn was relieved that she bought the excuse. She was going to have to have a little talk with Derek if he didn't pull the trigger soon.

* * *

Derek arrived at his childhood home around 7:00. He was confused by his mother's request that he come to her house for dinner. He knew his sisters wouldn't be there and they'd all be together the next day, anyway.

With that fact in mind, Derek had packed his clothing for the next few days and planned to spend the night at his mother's. Everyone stayed there throughout the Christmas holiday. One more night wouldn't hurt. Plus, it would save him the cab fare.

He was feeling a little down this holiday. It'd be the first time he and Meredith failed to spend Christmas together since they'd met. All he wanted was to go out to Seattle and spend time with her, but his mother and sisters shot down the idea with such adamancy that he knew he couldn't pull it off.

As soon as he opened the door, Derek felt happier. He couldn't explain why. There was just something in the air. Then he heard it. That giggle.

He practically ran to the kitchen, "Mer?!"

Meredith turned away from his mother and sister and smiled widely at him, "Hey, Der."

"How…you're here," he beamed.

"I am," she nodded, walking over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You didn't tell me you were coming," he stated, his arms automatically moving to circle her slim waist.

"I wanted it to be a Christmas surprise," she giggled.

He leaned down and pressed a sweet, chaste kiss to her lips, "I'm so glad you did."

"Me too," she smiled.

Derek turned his attention to his mother, "You knew about this," he reasoned, "That's why you were so adamant that I stay here for Christmas."

"I just figured you might prefer to be in the same city as your beloved," Carolyn shrugged.

"Thank you," he breathed.

"It's what I'm here for, dears," Carolyn assured.

Derek faced Meredith once more, "How'd you do this? When do you have to leave?"

"I've been working crazy hours since Thanksgiving. I don't leave until the 27th," she answered, resting her head against his chest and breathing him in.

He kissed her head, "This is the most amazing gift…"

"I didn't want to miss it. It was hard, and I barely slept, but I'm here. My mom actually came and took care of me," Meredith shrugged.

"That's why your mother was in Seattle? To help you make it out here?" Derek smiled.

"Yeah, she came through," Meredith explained proudly.

"Could you two get a room?" Amelia asked, taking in the way Meredith and Derek were all over each other, all smiles and intermittent kisses.

"Shut up, Amy," Meredith and Derek chimed at the same time.

"Could everyone just be nice? It's Christmas for goodness sake," Carolyn scolded.

Everyone laughed and took their seats at the table for dinner. It was good to be home.

* * *

Meredith panted as Derek fell onto the mattress beside her and pulled her close. They'd become masters of having "quiet sex" at his mother's house over the years. Tonight had been no exception.

"God, I missed you," Derek breathed, kissing her senseless.

"I missed you," Meredith grinned, leaning in for another kiss.

"I still can't believe you're here," he whispered, taking a whiff of her lavender scented hair.

"Neither can I. Although, I think the part I was most worried about was keeping YOU here," she giggled.

"I was going to go to Seattle. Mom kept demanding that I stay," Derek chuckled.

"She told me," Meredith assured him, "I thought I was going to have to unleash the sisters."

Derek chuckled, "Then I would have been really scared."

"The idea of you being in Seattle and me being in New York was my actual worst nightmare. Especially when I was only expecting three days off," she explained.

"That would have been bad," he agreed, "How exactly did three turn into five?"

"When I went in to request the time, the Chief and Bailey just gave me to extra days," she smiled.

"They respect your work ethic. I don't blame them," Derek nodded.

"I guess," she blushed.

Derek's fingers weaved their way through her long locks, pulling her face back up to his for another long, sweet kiss.

"I'm not sure I've even been happier to have you in my bed, Meredith Grey," he smiled.

She giggled once more, "This isn't the first time you've said something like that to me here."

 _It was their first Christmas together. Even after Thanksgiving went well, it took some convincing for Derek to get her there. In fact, Carolyn's invitation had been the one that Meredith had finally accepted._

 _Meredith giggled as she snuggled up to Derek in his childhood bedroom. It was the first time she'd stayed overnight at his mother's house, but the room was homey. It still held all of Derek's childhood and teenaged trophies and decorations. Only the bed had been changed out. The old twin had been traded for a queen._

 _Outside, the snow was coming down lightly-it was somehow fitting that Meredith's first real Christmas would be a white one—but it was warm and cozy under the covers._

 _"So what happens tomorrow?" Meredith asked._

 _"Well, Santa is going to pass tonight. We'll get up nice and early to open presents with everyone. We'll spend most of the day lounging and just being together, then in the evening we'll have another big dinner like we did tonight except some aunts and uncles will likely come by. Your typical Christmas," Derek explained proudly._

 _"I think I like Christmas so far," she smiled widely._

 _"I'm glad you feel that way," he smiled back._

 _"It's nice…this whole family thing. I don't think I've ever been happy or excited about holidays before," she admitted._

 _Derek smiled sadly at her, "I promise you're going to love every second of this Christmas. It may even make up for a few bad ones."_

 _Meredith cupped his cheek lovingly, leaning in for a sweet kiss, "I have no doubt it will."_

 _He sucked in a breath. There was a feeling moving through his body as he stared into the warm, trusting eyes of his girlfriend. It was love, he thought for a moment. Everything in his life was falling into place._

 _Not quite ready to admit his feelings, Derek grinned, "I'm really happy you're here in my bed, Meredith Grey."_

 _"I'm really happy to be here," she whispered back._

"You're right, but this time I'm not afraid to add that I love you," he pecked her lips.

"I love you, too," she smiled, kissing him right back.

They chatted for a while longer before drifting off to sleep, Meredith tightly wrapped in Derek's arms.

* * *

Meredith was taking her morning shower when Derek finally found time to approach his sister, "Amy, I need a favor."

"What's that?" she asked.

"I'll pay for the cab fare. Here's what I need you to do…."

Amelia's smile was almost as bright as Derek's as she set out on her mission. Meredith wasn't the only one who could play the surprise game.

* * *

Derek's other sisters and their families arrived late in the morning. The day was spent baking cookies, catching up, and eating.

The kids were having a great time playing with their cousins while their mothers were enjoying their reunion with Meredith.

She'd been an unofficial Shepherd sister for a long time now, and none of the real Shepherds had been particularly excited about her move.

In spite of the easy flow of conversation and the usual banter, Meredith couldn't help feeling like she was out of the loop on something. Nancy, Kathleen, and Amelia kept smiling crazily at her and exchanging glances. Lizzie was out of the loop, too, she supposed. Though, that probably meant whatever they were on about was a secret. Lizzie never got to know secrets because she was a bit of a blabber mouth.

Shrugging it off, Meredith moved through the rest of the day happily. She truly enjoyed the Shepherd family Christmas. Derek smiled as he watched her. Maybe he'd finally get his chance after all.

* * *

Each year, the people of Derek's old neighborhood sponsored a fun Christmas light show in the local park. Every inch of the place sparkled with lights. Various areas had various themes, and each year things were a little different. A small ice rink sat in the middle of it all. The display was famous throughout the state and brought lots of tourists and locals to their little area. It was a beautiful event.

It was a Shepherd family tradition to go and have a walk through the lights every Christmas Eve before ending the night on the ice. The entire family adored the event. The kids and adults alike reveled in the holiday spirit year after year.

Meredith and Derek were walking slowly along the park's path, hand in hand. They were falling behind the rest of the family, but neither minded much. The couple looked up to see a tall tree decorated with lights that seemed to jump from branch to branch. Derek decided then that this was his moment.

He turned to Meredith, bringing them both to a standstill. He took her other hand in his and smiled warmly at her, "Hey."

"Hey yourself," she giggled, "Why are we stopping?"

Derek shook his head, trying to clear away the nerves. Who begins their proposal with hey?

He gave her gloved hands a gentle squeeze, "Mer…I remember you quite literally crashing into my life seven years ago. Not a day has gone by since then that I'm not thankful for everything you are and everything you do. I admire you so much. You make me and everyone around you a better person. I've come to love you more than I ever thought possible. And I want to spend the rest of my life by your side."

Meredith's smile turned to a gasp as Derek released her hands, pulled something from his pocket, and got down on one knee in front of her. He opened the box containing his mother's engagement ring. Her hands flew to cover her mouth as tears came to her eyes.

"Meredith Grey, will you marry me?" he finally asked, giving her his dreamiest look.

"Oh God, Derek…yes!" she exclaimed, pulling him up to hug her.

Derek pulled back just long enough to remove her glove and slip the ring onto her finger. She took a moment to admire it.

"This is your mom's ring," she breathed.

"And now it's yours," Derek nodded.

"She's okay with that?" Meredith wondered, biting her lip.

"She practically threw it at me," Derek joked.

"Are you going to kiss her or what?" Kathleen called. The couple turned in the direction they were originally walking. Apparently, they had an audience. Every member of the family was watching the scene with sparkling eyes.

Meredith and Derek laughed, meeting in the middle for a long, sweet kiss. The rest of the Shepherds cheered. Carolyn fought back her tears as she witnessed the moment she'd waited so long.

The happy couple rejoined the rest of the family who congratulated them heavily. Despite having seen the ring a million times on their mother's finger, the girls demanded to have a look now that it was Meredith's.

Carolyn was the last to approach, pulling them both in for a warm hug, "I'm so happy for the two of you. I've been waiting for this moment since the first time Derek brought you home, Mer."

"Thank you for the ring," Meredith smiled, "it's really amazing."

"Dear, my husband always wanted it to go to the love of his son's life. It's always been your ring," Carolyn smiled warmly.

Derek gazed at her lovingly, "It truly has."

Meredith kissed his frozen nose, "I love you."

He pecked her lips, "And I love you."

With the excitement of the engagement flowing in the air, the family continued toward the ice rink. Meredith and Derek glided across the smooth surface together, exchanging glances and kisses regularly. This was the best Christmas ever.

* * *

Long after everyone else had gone to bed, Meredith and Derek found themselves lying under the Christmas tree, staring up at the lights.

There'd been a wonderful, passionate two rounds of engagement sex once the kids were in bed. Afterwards, Meredith had been called down to help his sisters play Santa.

Once the women were done arranging the presents, the men were called in to enjoy a drink and relax for awhile. Slowly, his sisters and their spouses had made their way to bed. The kids would no doubt be demanding their parents wake up for presents soon enough.

Meredith rolled from her back to position herself snug against Derek's chest. He wrapped her up and kissed her head. Taking his hand in hers, Meredith began to play with his fingers as she attempted to arrange her thoughts into words.

"Derek?" she whispered.

"Hmm?" he murmured, the vibrations in his chest from the soft sound making her feel warm and safe.

"Thank you," she stated.

Derek smiled warmly, "For what?"

She stroked his cheek lovingly, looking deep into his beautiful blue eyes, "You've given me everything. Love, hope, a family, a home, your time, your attention…and now you're giving me a lifetime. And I'm so thankful for that at every moment of everyday. I have no idea who I would be right now if I hadn't met you. You're truly the greatest thing that's ever happened to me, and I'll never be able to thank you enough. I just…I love you."

Derek was somewhat surprised to feel tears stinging his eyes, "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to marry my best friend. You're everything I need and more, Mer. I love you so much."

She smiled despite her own teary eyes, pulling him in for a quick kiss. Without missing a beat, Derek pulled her back for a deeper, more passionate kiss as soon as she pulled away. With a giggle and a smirk, the couple melted into the embrace.

"Maybe we should go to bed," Derek breathed with another suggestive smirk.

"We should definitely go to bed," Meredith whispered coyly.

* * *

When the sound of excited children running up the stairs to wake their parents reached Derek's ears, he smiled widely in spite of the fact that he and Meredith hadn't been asleep for long.

"Mer," he whispered, kissing her cheek, "Mer wake up."

Meredith only groaned in response, snuggling up close to him.

"Mer, you have to wake up. It's Christmas," he tried again, excitedly.

This time, she reluctantly opened her eyes, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Merry Christmas, Meredith," Derek smiled, kissing her softly.

"Merry Christmas, Derek," she beamed.

Dressed in their pajamas, the two made their way downstairs with the rest of the Shepherd clan to open gifts from both Santa and the family. The couple took their seats on one corner of the large, sectional sofa in the family room. Nancy's husband Scott and Lizzie's husband Jonathon circled the room with mugs, making sure all the adults were getting their coffee fix.

"Okay everyone," Carolyn announced, "the children are very, very antsy. Let's get started with the gifts."

Awhile later, after every last gift was unwrapped, Meredith sat with a tired Derek lounging against her, running her fingers through his thick, unruly hair.

Their pile of presents sat before them and she couldn't help thinking back on their first Christmas once again.

 _Meredith was smiling and laughing with the Shepherds as the children finished with their presents and the adults took their turn to open gifts._

 _"Meredith, this one is for you," Carolyn said._

 _She was somewhat shocked by the gesture, "Oh…you didn't have to. I can't accept anything from you guys. You've already done so much for me…"_

 _"Nonsense," Carolyn waved off the short ramble, "it's Christmas. Everyone gets gifts. Besides, you got all of us something."_

 _"Okay…" Meredith smiled weakly, accepting the package._

 _Tears of joy filled her eyes as the distribution continued and she received several more packages—one from each of Derek's sisters._

 _She turned to smile up at Derek, who was staring at her with adoring eyes._

 _"This is a real Christmas," she whispered, amazed._

 _"It is," he nodded his agreement._

 _"I love it here," she breathed._

 _"I'm glad," he responded, kissing her forehead._

Meredith smiled to herself at the memory. She still loved it here. Never in her life had she encountered a homier location. In fact, she probably loved it more than she once had, because now she truly knew and loved everyone there, too.

Glancing at her ring, she couldn't help but let the small smile overtake her entire face. This was her forever.

* * *

 **WEEK 4**

It was New Year's Eve and Meredith and Cristina had just gotten off of a marathon shift. The ER was already busy, and it would only get worse after midnight when everyone hit the road to return home after their parties.

The pair had gone to Joe's for a short while after leaving the hospital. The bar, however, had been extremely crowded and they'd decided it really wasn't worth sticking around. Neither one was particularly interested in a big party this year.

They'd agreed to go back to Meredith's instead where they could watch movies and drink in peace. Plus, they'd be off the roads later on.

Meredith exited her car and met Cristina in the driveway, a confused look on here face. There was a large moving truck parked on the street.

"Derek must've sent his stuff early or something," she shrugged.

Cristina nodded her agreement, "It seems that way."

Unlocking the door, Meredith gasped at the sight which awaited her. The fireplace was lit, soft music was playing in the background, and there was dinner and a bottle of wine laid out on the coffee table.

Cristina looked at Meredith, wide eyed, "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say it's time for me to go."

"You don't have to," Meredith half smiled, "we did have plans…"

"Meredith, McDreamy is obviously here. You should enjoy your night. I'll just go back to the hospital and wait for Owen's shift to end," her friend shrugged.

"McDreamy?" Meredith questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Cristina practically snorted, "You can't tell me it doesn't fit."

Meredith laughed, "Fine, but don't ever tell him that. His ego is big enough as it is."

"My lips are sealed. Goodnight, Mer," Cristina waved, walking straight back to her car.

Meredith waved back, shutting the door behind her and smiling.

"Derek?" she called.

Her fiancé appeared at the top of the staircase, looking handsome as ever.

"Hey," he smiled widely, quickly coming down to kiss her.

"What are you doing here? And why is there a moving truck?" she asked.

"Well," he grinned, leading her to his little dinner set up, "the truck is here to deliver my things."

"So are you going to live out of a suitcase for the next two weeks? That seems a little inconvenient," she frowned.

"I thought maybe I'd live here for two weeks," he smiled with a nonchalant shrug.

"What are you talking about?" she breathed, her heart pounding against her ribcage.

"I've been working my ass off since Thanksgiving. I put in a lot of extra hours and a lot of extra research. And as a result, I'm done," he grinned.

"You're done?" she repeated.

"I am. I have completed my surgical fellowship, and I am now an attending neurosurgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital," he nodded.

"You're not leaving? You're here to stay?" she demanded.

"I'm not going anywhere without you anymore. I'm here to stay, Mer," he confirmed.

Meredith leapt out of her spot on the floor and tackled him, kissing him hard.

Derek grunted when he hit the ground, a chuckle escaping him.

"You didn't tell me you were coming early," she panted after they pulled away.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he shrugged.

"This is the best surprise ever," she stated, kissing both of his cheeks.

"I'm glad," Derek chuckled again.

"It's over," she whispered, "We did it. No more living apart."

"Never again," he smiled, stroking her cheek lovingly.

And a few hours later, when the clock struck midnight, Meredith and Derek smiled widely. It was a new year in a new city, but they couldn't wait to see what was to come.

 **The End**


	12. Epilogue

**Hello all! Sorry I haven't replied to feedback from the last chapter yet, but this is the end. I thought about it a lot, and I don't think I'm going to make a sequel. I just feel that I've already told the story I wanted to tell. I am, however, working on two other projects that I think you'll truly enjoy! One of them is a huge beast that I wanted to finish before posting, but if you guys would like me to, I may just go ahead and started posting it. Also, if anyone would like to send me prompts, I'd love to create something with them! Thank you all so much for being so gracious and supportive of my first fic. I only hope that you'll join me again in the future! :)**

* * *

Derek grunted when two three-year-old knees pounded into his side, effectively crushing any hopes he had of sleeping in today. He rolled away from Meredith to meet the bright and cheerful eyes of his son.

"Morning Zachy," Derek groaned.

"Morning Daddy," Zachary beamed.

"I see you're up nice and early," Derek quipped.

"I not tired anymore," Zach shrugged.

"Well, in that case would you like some breakfast?" Derek asked.

"Pancakes," Zach nodded, "I can wake up Mommy now?"

Derek smiled at the young boy, "No, we need to let Mommy sleep."

"How come?" Zach frowned.

"Remember the new baby?" Derek asked. When Zach nodded, he continued, "He or she makes Mommy very tired. So we need to let her get her rest."

"Okay, Daddy. I give Mommy kiss though?" Zachary tried a new approach.

"Only if you're very quiet and gentle," Derek commanded.

Zachary carefully crawled over his father and planted a big, wet kiss on his mother's cheek, "Sleep good, Mommy."

Much to Derek's dismay, Meredith's green eyes fluttered open at the disturbance.

"Sorry, Mommy," Zach whispered, "I didn't mean to."

Meredith smiled tiredly, "That's okay, Zachy."

Derek smiled softly at her, "How are you feeling?"

"Still pretty bad," she frowned.

Unlike with her first pregnancy, Meredith's morning sickness hadn't resolved itself with the conclusion of her first trimester. She was about halfway through the second, and the illness had been much worse than it ever was with Zachary. While she had a Zofran prescription on hand, Meredith often forewent taking the medication if she wasn't at work.

She had been sick until the early hours of the morning, and Derek had stayed in the bathroom with her, holding her hair back and rubbing her back gently. He'd brought a pillow with him and encouraged her to nap with her head down in his lap as best she could between moments of illness.

When it had finally ended, Derek had carried her exhausted form to bed and tucked her in beside himself.

"Go back to sleep," Derek smiled, "you need it."

"No, that's okay. I'd rather be up with you guys," Meredith stated, though she made no move to sit up.

"You and baby need to rest, Mommy. Daddy says you get tired and I let you sleep," Zach explained.

Meredith sighed, "Fine. But you boys better wake me up in time to go to Grandma's later."

"We will," Derek assured her, leaving a soft kiss on her forehead, "I love you."

Zach, always trying to mimic his father, also kissed his mother's forehead and proclaimed his love for her before scampering out of the room with Derek.

"I love you both, too," Meredith couldn't help but smile as she watched her boys head for the kitchen.

Life was good for her and her little family. She and Derek had tied the knot the June after their engagement at the same church in New York where his parents and sisters had been wed. Carolyn had, rather sneakily, managed to secure the church and a wedding hall even on only six months notice. Meredith and Derek hadn't bothered to question it, they'd simply thanked her. It had been a beautiful ceremony at the end of which not even the great Ellis Grey was dry-eyed.

She and Derek had slowly and somewhat awkwardly managed to form a relationship with the Grey family. Meredith wasn't eager to do so at first, but overtime she became glad to have them back in her life. She and Lexie had grown close, and Derek took the occasional fishing trip with Thatcher. Susan, of course, was wonderful and quite the blessing in their busy lives. Molly was a wonderful person as well, but wasn't around quite as much as the others.

Their time in Seattle had been simply amazing. They'd laughed, cried, fought, and supported each other. Their love only grew stronger along the way. Unfortunately, Dr. Quincy—the head of neuro at Grace—continuously postponed his retirement, so Derek never got to take over the job. Surprisingly enough, he wasn't too upset when Meredith had approached him with a new plan for their life. He liked her idea better than any job.

They'd moved back to New York at the end of Meredith's residency so that she could accept a neuro fellowship at Mt. Sinai. During that time, she became quite the spinal tumor goddess. Derek couldn't have been prouder. Together, they even managed to invent the Shepherd-Grey Method. Their bosses were utterly thrilled that the dream team had returned. Although, no one was as thrilled to have them back in New York as Carolyn.

Most of the staff members at Seattle Grace were sad to see the couple go, none more so than Dr. Bailey. Cristina had opted to do her fellowship at Columbia, so she and Meredith still saw each other often. In face, Zach saw her as one of his aunts. Unfortunately, Cristina and Owen's relationship did not work out in the end. She did, however, meet another cardio surgeon in New York, who she ended up marrying in a small ceremony at city hall with Meredith and Derek as her witnesses.

Once her fellowship ended, she and Derek decided it was time. They'd been together for twelve years and married for five. Both were ready to hear the pitter patter of little Shepherd feet. Zachary was conceived after only two months of trying. Derek had been there every step of the way without complaint. He'd made late night food runs to satisfy her cravings, massaged her swollen ankles, stayed up late and gotten up early to hold her hair back while she was sick, and had been there to hold her hand through every doctor's appointment. And one spring morning, around 3 AM, when Meredith's water broke, Derek had quickly gotten her to the hospital and coached her through twenty-seven hours of labor, which she took like a champ. The entire experience had brought them closer than either thought possible. In the end, they were rewarded with the most perfect little boy either had ever scene. Zachary Michael Shepherd was the spitting image of his father, the only physical evidence that he was Meredith's child being his nose.

Upon hearing the news that she would be a grandmother, Ellis made some calls and was named Chief of Surgery at NYU Medical Center. She immediately moved to New York in order to spend time with her daughter and her newly formed family. Zachary adored his Granny just as she adored him.

Carolyn was beside herself with excitement when Meredith and Derek announced that she would, as she put it, finally be having a Shepherd grandchild. Little Zach stayed with Grandma most days, though he occasionally went to daycare so that Carolyn could have a break.

Several months ago, Meredith and Derek had once again decided that it was time to extend their family. This time, though, they weren't formally trying. Meredith had stopped taking her birth control and they were going to let nature take its course. Soon enough, they were rewarded with Baby Shepherd #2.

Meredith was hoping for her own little clone this time, but, like every mother, really only wanted a healthy baby. The many differences between her two pregnancies kept her hopes high. Derek kept joking that a little Meredith would never hear the word no from his mouth, then he'd smile and kiss her belly, and promise to love them both forever.

And as she drifted back to sleep, the sound of her two favorite boys laughing in the background, Meredith sighed in content. She'd accomplished a lot of things in her life, but her family was the one thing in which she took the most pride.

At the end of the day, they were all she needed. And no matter what happened, no matter where life took her, they would always be enough.


End file.
